A Demon's Love
by Xx.-.Izanami.-.xX
Summary: Sesshomaru/Kagura love story. Fairly CANON. Starts where Final Act starts, so spoiler alert for anyone who hasn't seen it. What would happen if Sesshomaru saved Kagura? Would he allow himself to love her? Read this to find out! Rated M for some content.
1. Freedom

**Author's Note: **Ok guys, well that is it for chapter 1. This is my first fanfiction, so if you can find it in your hearts to review, it would be much appreciated! =) I am trying to keep the characters as close to original personality as possible, although I did change Kagura's attitude a little to fit with the story. Starting to put the final touches on the next chapter so hopefully I will post before too long! Thanks for reading!

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did I would be rich right now, lol.**

* * *

"Kagura, you disappoint me again" Naraku seethed. "Naraku, don't!" A terrified Kagura screamed. Before she knew what was happening, she was on the floor, her face swollen and hot. She tried to crawl away from her tormentor, but it was no use, he overwhelmed her with his superior strength. "You should consider yourself lucky Kagura, if it was anyone else, I would've struck them dead within a minutes notice. But you..." He paused as a twisted grin came to his face while he smelled her ebony locks "I love seeing you suffer." She tried to escape his grasp, clawing violently at the floor. "You bastard!" She screamed as he pulled her up by her throat, choking the air from her. She stared at his face, that sadistic grin never leaving his lips, and then she felt an unbelievable pain in her chest. As she looked over at him, she froze in terror at what was in his hand: her heart. A cry barely escaped her lips, as he still had his hand wrapped around her throat. "Never forget Kagura, you are mine and mine alone. I have the power to end your very life." He released his grip and she fell into a crumpled heap on the floor. Her entire body was in pain, and she wished she would just pass out to get away from the torment; however, she was not so lucky. He bent down to where she lay and licked his tongue across her cheek, his smile growing wider with every second. The feeling made her physically sick to her stomach and she tried to push him away from her. He laughed at her struggle as his tentacles shot out from his back and impaled her by her shoulders, pinning her against the wall. She let forth a blood curdling scream as her vision started to blur. "I trust you will not let me down again Kagura" he said as his eyes gleamed red. He retracted his tentacles and she fell once again to the floor.

She woke up screaming, and covered with sweat. She wrapped her arms around herself in a desperate attempt at comfort. She eventually slowed her breathing and stopped her uncontrollable shaking. This was something she went through on almost a nightly basis, but they had gotten worse since she had betrayed Naraku. _'Damnit, I have to get away, he could still be trying to find me'_ she thought. It had been two days since she had sided with Hakudoshi and saved Kohaku from Maryomaru, and she knew Naraku was looking for her.

She was trying desperately to find the only person she knew could help her, the magnificent Lord of the West, Sesshomaru. She had been following his trail and she knew she was getting close, his aura was getting stronger. She looked up at the night sky and decided she must take flight. She had to stay away from Naraku at all costs, or it would mean her death. She slowly willed herself to stand up, exhaustion claiming her body. She had not slept or stopped running in the two days since her betrayal, afraid he would catch her before she could reach her goal. She plucked the feather from her hair and took flight into the sky, the sun slowly starting to peak over the horizon.

* * *

"Master Jaken! Look, I picked a flower for you!" Rin exclaimed with pride. The little girl wore a smile from ear to ear as she presented her gift to the little toad.

"Honestly Rin, I don't want anymore flowers, and I don't know why you keep picking them" Jaken sounded back sternly.

The smallest of frowns came to the child's face momentarily, but it was then replaced with another ear to ear smile. "Because master Jaken, they're so pretty and I like to give you presents, you are my friend afterall." She said in a singsong voice, as she skipped over to the demon lord.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I picked a flower for you as well" she beamed, holding it up to him. He momentarily looked down at her from his gaze toward the sky and took the flower from her hand, not saying a word. She smiled up at him and started to skip away.

He returned to his thoughts. For the past two days, he could tell that something had happened with Naraku, his aura felt diminished somehow. He was yet to learn of Hakudoshi being consumed by the monk's wind tunnel or of the fact that Kagura had betrayed her former master. He also noticed his sword, Tensaiga had been acting strangely for the last hour or so, he reached down to calm the sword, unsure of its meaning. _'What is troubling you Tensaiga?'_ he thought. He was momentarily snapped out of his contemplation by a familiar scent growing stronger and coming ever closer. He had felt the demoness Kagura approaching him for some time now, but due to her proximity he could now tell that something was wrong. He felt her aura was almost one of desperation, and more predominately sheer terror. He thought for a moment on what his next move should be, to let her come to him, or perhaps he should go to her.

"Jaken, watch over Rin until I return" he ordered his subject.

"But milord, might I accompany you?" Jaken asked with a whining tone.

Sesshomaru looked at him out of the corner of his eye and remained silent.

Jaken knew that look, he also knew it meant another bruise on the head if he did not obey.

Sesshomaru took to the skies, heading in the direction of Kagura's scent. The closer he got to her the more he could sense her fear. And then he sensed something else, something foul, Naraku's scent. He hastened his speed to their location, not willing to let Naraku escape him again.

* * *

"Kagura, you disappoint me again. If it is freedom you seek so badly then I will give it to you" Naraku sneered

"What do you mean Naraku?" Kagura said, fear gripping every inch of her body now.

"I shall return your heart to you, and you may be free," he said as he held up her heart in his hand and a smile crossed his lips. "Now you can be free to go wherever you want."

Kagura could hardly believe her ears, but yet she knew Naraku was planning something. She looked at his eyes and saw them flash crimson as he returned her lost heart into her chest. She felt her heartbeat inside her chest and for a moment she felt relief, until she saw Naraku's tentacles shoot through his barrier and straight towards her. She closed her eyes and awaited the pain, but it never came. She dared to open her eyes once more and she saw a glimmer of blue pass in front of her. She looked at Naraku and his eyes had been diverted from her, a look of concern now replacing his evil smirk. She followed his gaze and saw Sesshomaru to her left, Tokijin in his hands.

"My my my, if it isn't Lord Sesshomaru. You were the last person I expected to see here."

"Naraku" Sesshomaru growled, and released a powerful blast from Tokijin. The blast made contact with Naraku's barrier and bounced off. "You will not escape me this time" he continued coolly.

"I beg to differ Lord Sesshomaru, your interference was not something I had planned on, but I assure you, you will meet your death at my hands soon enough" Naraku smirked as he started to fly off to the East. Sesshomaru let out another powerful blast from his sword as Naraku disappeared in the distance.

Kagura stood shocked at what had just happened, not only had she found Lord Sesshomaru in time, but he had actually _saved_ her. She looked at him as he sheathed Tokijin, his expression as cool as ever. He voice shook, "Sesshomaru..." He looked in her direction, but remained silent. "Why did you save me?" her newly recovered heart still racing in her chest.

"I did not come for you, I came for Naraku" he answered calmly.

For the first time, Kagura's heart sank. '_How could I be so foolish?' _she thought. _'Of course he wouldn't come to save me, he never has before.'_ she thought, scolding herself silently.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by his voice "Tell me Kagura, why was Naraku trying to kill you now?"

She tried to compose herself and answer in the most normal tone she could muster, "He found out I betrayed him, and he wanted revenge."

Silence was the reply.

"Sesshomaru, even though you didn't come for me, thank you anyways, you saved me."

"Humph" He said as he turned to leave.

"Sesshomaru, wait!" She cried, her voice full of desperation. "Please, let me come with you, you know Naraku will still be after me, and I'm not strong enough to defeat him" her eyes lowered as tears started to grace the corners "please..." she whispered.

He was silent for a moment, and then he spoke. "Kagura, your fate is of no concern to me."

He turned once more to leave, but he smelt the scent of her tears and it stopped him. He sensed her fear and despair, and could almost feel her heart beating out of her chest. Once again, the Tensaiga started to vibrate in it's sheath. _'Why are you troubled Tensaiga? Be silent.' _As he thought this the sword began to shake more violently, he put his hand on its hilt and made it stop. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't like to see anyone cry.

"Very well Kagura" He said as he flew off.


	2. Scars

**A/N:** Here is the second chapter in the story. It goes into a little bit of why Kagura has changed so much, and why she is so depressed. I know this Kagura is slightly different from the Manga/Anime but I promise it plays a big part later in the story! Reviews are always appreciated! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did I would be rich now...sigh**

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* * *

**Kagura rode silently on her feather, following the demon lord back to his camp. She watched his silver hair blowing in the wind and could only imagine what he was thinking. A mixture of relief and embarrassment was churning within her. She hated that Sesshomaru saw her begging for mercy in front of him. She never wanted to appear weak like that in front of anyone, much less him. At the time, she knew of nothing else she could do. If he would have left her there, Naraku surely would have hunted her down to finish the job as soon as she was alone. She felt a sick feeling in her stomach when she thought of that monster. He was the reason for her being in such a pitiful state, his endless abuse had finally broken her spirit.

She looked ahead and saw smoke rising from a small campfire in the middle of a clearing. Sesshomaru started to descend to the ground silently as she followed.

"Lord Sesshomaru! You're back!" Rin beamed at the sight of her lord's return.

"Oh milord, that was certainly quick. May I ask why you have returned so..." Jaken's voice trailed off as he saw the wind sorceress Kagura set foot on the ground.

"Lord Sesshomaru! What is that wench doing here? Allow me to dispose of her!" He said, raising the staff of two heads, but stopped when he saw Rin run over to Kagura.

"Kagura! Rin is so happy to see you again! Rin hoped you would come back, Rin was so worried about you after you left last time." She went over and hugged Kagura's leg.

Kagura looked down at her and a faint smile graced her lips, "I'm happy to see you too Rin." As she said this, she could feel the exhaustion in her body taking over, as she fell to her knees on the ground. Rin leaned down in front of her, "Oh no Kagura! Are you ok?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.

Kagura smiled dimly and replied "Yes Rin, just tired."

Rin clapped her hands together and said "Well, you go and rest on Ah-Un, and I will find some fish for us to eat." She gently pulled on the wind sorceress' hand. Kagura slowly got up and walked over to the huge two headed dragon known as Ah-Un. Rin motioned for a spot on the ground beside it to sit. "Ah-Un makes a good pillow, plus he keeps you warm!" The child beamed. "Now you rest here Kagura and I will be back in a little while with some fish!" The child said proudly.

"Thank you Rin, that's very nice" she said as the child hurried off towards the small stream.

Kagura's eyes closed and sleep took over. Before she knew it, she saw the most hated face in her dream. She could hear Naraku's mocking laughter all around her.

As Rin and Jaken were off catching fish, Sesshomaru noticed Kagura's distress as she was sleeping. He heard the words "No please, Naraku" escape her lips softly. He slowly walked closer to her and noticed the beads of sweat coming down her face, her rapid breathing and her slight shaking. It was then that Tensaiga started pulsing again. He eyed it suspiciously and touched the hilt of the sword. _'Save her'_ came a voice from the sword. _'Save her, you must save her' _Nonsense, he thought to himself. I, Lord Sesshomaru, need to save no one. Just then he realized she was starting to wake up, with a loud scream of "Stop!"

Kagura bolted off of Ah-Un, momentarily shocking the enormous dragon. She clutched her newly recovered heart, as it felt as if it was going to beat out of her chest. She could feel Sesshomaru's eyes on her, as she slowed her heart. She knew he was watching her, but she could not make eye contact, she was too embarrassed.

"Kagura, what were you dreaming about?" He asked her coolly.

"Naraku" she said as her composure was starting to return.

"I see" was all he replied as he turned to walk away from her.

Just then, Rin came running up to Kagura, with six fish on a string. "Look Kagura! Look at how many fish Rin caught!" She exclaimed, proud of herself.

Kagura looked up from the ground towards the fast approaching Rin. "That's great Rin, you're really good at that"

"Mm hmm" Rin nodded.

Just then Sesshomaru interrupted, "I must leave for awhile, Jaken, watch over Rin and Kagura" he said as he disappeared into the skies.

"Yes milord" came Jaken's disappointed reply.

* * *

Sesshomaru flew through the air, his destination entering his sights. He was going to see old man Totosai about how his sword had been reacting lately. Tensaiga had never acted out like this, not unless the Tetsusaiga was around, and he could not smell that idiot half brother of his anywhere. His feet touched the ground and he started walking towards Totosai's dwelling.

"Totosai" he said calmly, "we need to talk."

"Oh, so it's you Sesshomaru. I've been expecting you."

"Expecting me?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"Yes, you're wanting to know why the Tensaiga has been acting strange aren't you?" The old geezer replied, looking in his direction.

Sesshomaru just stood in the doorway, looking at the old man impatiently.

"It's quite simple my boy, the Tensaiga senses someone who needs to be saved and it is reacting to it."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow slightly, as the old man continued.

"Tensaiga is the sword of healing, and it knows when there is someone that is in trouble. It's telling you that _you_ need to save that person."

"Nonsense, I, Lord Sesshomaru, do not need to save anyone." Replied Sesshomaru, his detached façade never wavering.

The old man sighed "Just as I thought, you're as callous as ever. Why your father ever thought it was a good idea to give you that marvelous sword is beyond me..." he trailed off as he realized the mistake of the words he was saying. He snuck a nervous glance at the demon lord and saw the aggravation in his eyes.

"W...what I mean is that the Tensaiga not only can bring people back to life, but it can also tell you when there is someone who needs your help, who you must save" he said, stammering over his words.

Sesshomaru cast his eyes up to the sky and reflected on what the old swords smith had just told him. _'Impossible, this Sesshomaru is incapable of helping others. Why did my father give me such a useless sword'_ he thought as he let a low growl escape his lips.

Totosai cowered in fear, thinking that he was living in his last moments.

Sesshomaru abruptly turned on his heels and left the cave.

Totosai let out a relieved sigh. _'Will you save her Sesshomaru? If she dies, a piece of you will go with her.' _he thought as he watched the dog demon take to the skies.

* * *

Back at the campground, Rin, Jaken and Kagura were all sitting around the campfire, eagerly watching the fish cook.

"Almost ready" Rin sang as she turned the fish one last time. "Not only is Rin good at catching fish, Rin is good at cooking them too" she announced.

Kagura smiled at the girl. It was nice being around Rin, somehow she managed to melt all her cares away. That must be why Sesshomaru keeps her around and cares for her so much, she makes you feel at ease. It was still shocking for Kagura to comprehend that Sesshomaru had actually brought the girl back from the dead some time ago. Since Rin had been with Sesshomaru, she had softened him, ever so slightly and Kagura could see why.

Rin clapped her hands together excitedly "They're done!" she exclaimed as she picked up a skewer of fish and handed it to Kagura. "Here Kagura! This one's for you" she beamed. Kagura leaned over to take the fish out of her hand and smiled "Thank you Rin."

"You're welcome! I hope you like it! Fish is Rin's specialty!"

She then took another skewer and handed it to Jaken "Here you go master Jaken!" The toad grumbled something as he took the stick out of her hand.

Kagura bit into the fish, this was the first food she had had in over 3 days and she was eagerly anticipating it. She looked over at Rin who was casting her an expecting look.

"You did very good Rin, this fish is tasty" she said, flashing the girl a smile.

Rin's smile grew even bigger and her eyes lit up. "Rin's so glad you like them Kagura, Rin caught them just for you" she said as she shoved the fish into her mouth.

They sat in silence there for a moment, all of them concentrating on eating, until Rin broke the silence once more.

"Kagura, how long are you going to stay with us this time?"

Kagura looked at the girl, and forced a half smile. "I don't know, I suppose as long as Sesshomaru lets me stay."

"Oh well then that will be a very long time! Lord Sesshomaru likes you Kagura! He will let you stay with us forever!" She said, excited over the prospect that a new playmate had entered their group.

Kagura let out a laugh, "Rin, I don't think Sesshomaru likes me that much."

Rin shook her head violently. "Nuh uh! Lord Sesshomaru likes Kagura very much! Rin can tell!"

Kagura just glanced down and laughed quietly to herself. Jaken interrupted her thoughts with his shrieking voice.

"Rin, don't be so foolish! Lord Sesshomaru can't stand Kagura! He's only keeping her around because he knows Naraku will come looking for her, and then Lord Sesshomaru will be able to dispose of Naraku."

Jaken's words stung Kagura. As she thought about it more, the little toad was probably right. After all, it was obvious he didn't care about her, no matter what Rin said.

Rin looked at Jaken as her smile faded into a frown, "Don't be mean master Jaken! Lord Sesshomaru does like Kagura being around! He would not have saved her if he didn't"

"Foolish girl! The only reason Lord Sesshomaru stopped Naraku from killing her is so he could get his revenge! What makes you think that he could care about someone that belongs to Naraku? Lord Sesshomaru would never..."

Jaken stopped in his tracks when he realized Sesshomaru was standing behind him.

"Lord Sesshomaru! You've returned!" Rin said as she jumped up eagerly and greeted him.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Jaken was being very mean! He was saying bad things about Kagura and was upsetting Rin!" The little girl exclaimed.

Jaken turned around with a horrified look at his lord.

WHACK!

Jaken's head began to display a huge red lump from where the demon lord had hit him.

"Serves you right, serves you right" Rin sang as she danced around Jaken.

Kagura smirked and looked up at Sesshomaru, his indifferent expression staring back at her. _'Rin doesn't know what she's talking about, it seems like he can hardly stand to look at me._' She gazed into his shimmering yellow orbs and felt her heart skip a beat. Confused, as she had never felt this before she clutched her chest in surprise.

"What's the matter Kagura?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Oh, nothing" Kagura replied, easing her grip on her chest.

"I think I'm going to go for a swim. Rin, would you like to join me?" Kagura asked as she averted her eyes away from his piercing look.

She stopped in place and laughed. "Yes!"

* * *

Kagura lounged in the stream, and laid her head back against its edge. Rin was blowing bubbles in the water a few yards from her. Kagura smiled at the sounds she was making. This girl was so full of life and energy that it was refreshing. . It was certainly in stark contrast to the despair and lifelessness that surrounded Naraku's castle. A shudder went down her spine, as she chased away the memories of that place. Rin swam over to her and Kagura lifted her head up from the side of the stream.

"What is it Rin?" Kagura asked kindly.

"Rin hopes you are not upset by what master Jaken said earlier. Master Jaken can be mean sometimes, but Rin knows the truth. You and Lord Sesshomaru belong together" she said, flashing another smile at Kagura.

The girl's response had made Kagura lose her balance in the water and her head went under for a minute. When she came up she wiped her hair from her face and looked back at the girl, still stunned.

"Rin..."

Rin just smiled and said "Okay, Rin is tired. Rin is going to bed now, are you coming Kagura?"

"In a little bit Rin." Kagura said, secretly wanting some time alone to think.

"Ok!" said Rin "Rin will save you a spot on Ah-Un to sleep!" And at that she got out of the stream and left Kagura to her thoughts.

_'We belong together? Rin has no idea what she is saying, but it is nice to think of.'_ Kagura was not going to lie to herself, there had been many times that she had thought of Lord Sesshomaru and her together, but she knew that's all it was going to be is a dream. When she was still under Naraku's service, she found that thought to be the only thing that comforted her, however ridiculous it was. Jaken's words rang in her ears once more "What makes you think that he could care about someone that belongs to Naraku?"

"Stupid toad" Kagura said quietly to herself as she thought _'He's right though, Sesshomaru could have anyone he wanted, no one would refuse him. Even if he did want me, it would never work, we are from different worlds, and I could never be worthy enough.'_ Once again, she felt the pain in her heart again, by feeling rejected by the one she loved. Loved...? The choice of words shocked her. Could she actually be in love with Sesshomaru. She didn't deny that she often thought about him, and she did have a great deal of feelings for him, but love? She wrapped her hands around her bare back and felt them: The scars. Scars left on her by Naraku from the nearly constant beatings she had to endure. Love? She had known nothing but pain and despair in her former life. She couldn't be capable of love, much less understand what it felt like, but there was no denying her feelings for him. Her thoughts were interrupted as she sensed Sesshomaru standing near her.

She looked up at him to see him looking at her naked body. Instinctively she ducked down a little in the water, but his eyes did not leave her.

"Kagura" he said, pausing slightly before continuing "where did you get those scars?"

Kagura felt her heart start to race as the thoughts of Naraku came back to her. She frowned and looked down into the water, lowering her eyes. Sesshomaru watched her expression, wondering where the strong, independent woman he once knew had gone. She was now replaced with a shadow of who she once was. What had happened to cause this? It was almost sickening to him.

"They're from Naraku" she said sadly.

Sesshomaru felt a surge of anger momentarily sweep over him. He felt the Tensaiga pulse at his side once more. _'What is this? Why is this Sesshomaru getting angry about Kagura being hurt? She is no one to me.'_ He dispersed the emotion and continued talking.

"But you are a demon are you not? Why do the scars not heal?"

Kagura sighed deeply as she felt tears burning at her eyes. The thought of what she was going to say next made her stomach churn.

"Because he didn't want them too. He said that as long as I belonged to him, I would carry these scars as a reminder that he owned me, and I could never escape him."

Sesshomaru felt the anger well up inside him again, as he took in her words. He also felt another emotion, sorrow. This was the same emotion he felt the day he found Rin dead in the human village. He clenched his fists, willing the weakness to leave him. Now he understood why she had changed so much, her spirit had been broken by Naraku. Tensaiga started to pulse more rapidly at his side as his emotions nearly spilled out onto his face. Kagura looked up at him, unaware that she was watching him fight his emotions. He looked down at her once again and their eyes met. She gasped silently to herself as she could almost see the anger in his eyes.

"Do not worry Kagura," he said as he finally composed himself "Naraku will never harm you again."

And with that he walked slowly away.

Kagura sat in the stream, a feeling of shock coming over her. She could not believe what she heard. After all the times she had begged Sesshomaru to help her, this was the first time she ever got a positive reply back. And she couldn't get the look of his eyes out of her head, she could've sworn she saw something in his eyes just then, anger. She shook her head trying to get the thought out of her mind. _'He only got mad because I mentioned Naraku. Now that you finally got your heart back Kagura, don't let it be broken by thinking such outrageous thoughts.' _She sank further into the stream, the cool water rushing over her shoulders. For the first time in her life, she felt at ease, now that she was with Sesshomaru


	3. Fighting Emotions

**A/N: Hello dear readers! Back with another chapter in the story. I am going to try and update more often, I hate being left in suspense as a reader so I'm not going to do it to you guys if I can help it! Thanks to all who have left reviews, they are all much appreciated! Think of it as motivation guys, lol. But anyways, this chapter is mostly about Sessh/Kagura fighting the emotions in themselves. Action is coming in the next chapter though! Hope you guys enjoy! Remember reviews are always welcome, even if they are constructive criticism, I welcome them all!**

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did I would be rich by now!**Sesshomaru stood on the side of the cliff overlooking his camp and could not help thinking about what Kagura had told him. _'Despicable'_ he thought as the image of Kagura's scars came into his mind. What kind of demon was this Naraku? He was merely a pathetic half demon, no better than that worthless half brother of his. Sesshomaru may be a cold blooded killer, but there were some things even he regarded as vile, and the damage Naraku had inflicted on Kagura was appalling, even for that wretch. Tensaiga had finally silenced itself as he reflected on what Totosai had told him earlier. Try as he might he could not get the old man's words out of his head. _'There is someone you must save.'_ Sesshomaru thought about this for a moment longer. His stoic, unflinching expression never changed, but inside he was wrestling against these unwelcome feelings. He knew the person the old man was talking about, and he knew what he was implying, he must kill Naraku to set her free.

* * *

"Kagura" her name barely escaped his lips as he turned his gaze up towards the sky. His unwavering gaze never hinting to the turmoil he was feeling inside.

He began to feel the same feelings that had come to him when he saved Rin, feelings he promised himself he would never allow to happen again. He felt sorry for Kagura, not only that but he felt like he needed to save her. He felt almost disgusted the he, Lord Sesshomaru, felt pity for anyone, it was beneath him. Caring for someone made him weak, that was, after all, how his father had died. The great dog demon of the west, Inu No Taisho, had fallen while trying to protect his miserable human wife and abomination of a son. Not only that, but he had died at the hands of a pathetic human no less. His joints tightened at the thought of his father. He recalled how he felt on the day he died, disgusted. On that day, as he was looking at his father's grave, he vowed the he, Sesshomaru, the great Lord of the West, would never allow himself to get attached to someone. Attachment showed weakness and he was anything but weak.

All that changed when he saved Rin. Rin's smiling face suddenly came to his mind as he let the smallest of inward smiles go. She was kind to him after the fight with that miserable half demon, Inuyasha. Her face, bruised and swollen still managed to smile at him when she saw him. The day he found her lying dead on the path was the moment something in him changed. As cold and uncaring as he was, he never wanted to see a child die. In that moment, he saved her, not even thinking about it. He had claimed it was merely to test out the Tensaiga, but his true intent was never revealed to anyone, perhaps even he did not want to believe the real reason he did it. Since that day, something was different in him, and it troubled him greatly. He actually felt attachment to the girl, actually cared for her well-being. Since that time, he had become very fond of Rin and even thought of her as his own pup, although he dared not let it show. In the past, he had told himself never again would he save another, and let that weakness overcome him again. It was troublesome enough caring for Rin, now he was presented with another he was obligated to protect.

His promise had held good until he saved Kagura. He knew full well what he was doing that day, even if he did not understand the reason he did it. He had come to save Kagura, not to defeat Naraku, and since that day, he had felt troubled over it. He felt the same weakness he despised in his father take over him, and he acted out of instinct, not rationality. For if he had been rational, he would've let Naraku kill Kagura and been on his way. Kagura, who was always plotting against Naraku, trying to get him to help her kill the repulsive half demon. Kagura who kidnapped Rin. Kagura who was made from Naraku. At one time, she disgusted him, but he had changed his mind about her after the day Rin saved her, after being severely wounded by Goryoumaryu. That day she seemed so desperate and vulnerable, a side he had never seen from the wind sorceress. He felt the smallest twinge of sympathy for her that day, and since then he found himself thinking about her occasionally.

Her terrified face flashed in his mind, and Tensaiga started vibrating once again. He held the hilt with his hand _'Tensaiga, do you really deem this woman worthy of saving?'_ he asked of the sword. At that moment, Tensaiga became still and Sesshomaru glanced down at his sword.

"Very well" he replied. He would save her from Naraku, and that would be the end of it. He resigned himself to not let these emotions consume his thoughts anymore. As soon as Naraku had been dispatched, he would send her on her way and be done with it, his duty would be fulfilled then. She would then be gone, and he could get on with his plans of ruling an empire, and not have these annoying feelings clouding his head.

* * *

_"Kekeke, Kagura, do you really think it is that easy to get away from me? You will never be truly freed from me, even if you have your miserable heart back. You will always belong to me as long as I am in this world."_

Kagura woke up with a start, Naraku's laughter still echoing in her ears. This dream had felt so real, almost like Naraku was standing right next to her, whispering these things in her ear. Still slightly disoriented, she sat up and took in her surroundings. Rin lay next to her on Ah-Un, snuggled up close to the massive dragon. Jaken lay a few yards away, on his back beside the campfire. She continued searching to see if she could find Sesshomaru and felt slightly relieved when she could not see or sense him anywhere. She was thankful he could not see her in this sorry state, but at the same time was disappointed he was not around. She slowly rose up from the ground so as not to disturb Rin and walked back to the stream.

She stood there, watching the moonlight dance on the gently flowing water, and slowly looked at her own reflection_. 'What has happened to you Kagura? What has happened to the strong willed, fiery demoness you used to be? You were the wind, and none could tame you.'_ Her eyes drifted away from her reflection as she said quietly "That was before Naraku and his relentless punishments." Before she had prided herself as being independent and strong, but after so many beatings, anyone would lose their spirit. _'Naraku, you bastard, that's what you wanted wasn't it?_' She gritted her teeth at what he had done to her, what he was still doing to her; even now that she had escaped him. "Humph" she scoffed. Who was she kidding; she was still not free from him, for as long as he lived she knew he would keep coming after her. And as long as he was alive, she could never get him out of her head. Her thoughts drifted to the scars on her back, symbols that she was merely his property, no more than something he laid claim to. Her emotions swirled around her, she could not tell whether to be sad or angry.

_'Do not worry Kagura, Naraku will never harm you again.'_ Sesshomaru's words rang in her head. This brought the tiniest of smiles to her sad face; she still could not believe he told her that, after all, he had not been acting like he gave a damn about her since they met. Her thoughts wandered to Sesshomaru. She remembered what she had felt the first time she saw him. He was gorgeous. After that day, she found any excuse she could to go and watch the great dog demon Lord from afar. Never getting close enough for him to sense her. He was the only thing that brought light to her world of darkness, the only thing Naraku couldn't take from her. She scolded herself for letting her train of thought go this route. _'Don't get your hopes up Kagura from one little sentence.' _This was Sesshomaru after all, the great and powerful Lord of the West, and she was merely damaged goods. What would he ever want with her? That small smile vanished from her face, as she realized the cold reality of what she was thinking.

She took her fan out from her kimono and let a small gust go, sending ripples across the water. She smirked to herself at how drastically things had changed within the last day. Never would she have thought that she would be camping with Sesshomaru, no, that he allowed her to stay. She sat down beside the stream and pulled her knees up to her chest. She tried desperately to comfort herself, as she had done so many times before. She was a mess. First with Naraku plaguing her dreams every time she slept, and now Sesshomaru dominating her mind during the day. Kagura knew that her mind was not the only thing he held sway over, he also had her heart. She smiled at the irony _'I just got my heart back and already someone has stolen it again.' _She started tapping her fan nervously against the side of her leg. She suddenly felt anger swell over her, _'No, he cannot have my heart. I am the wind, and I belong to no one.'_ She adopted the same stubborn attitude that had gotten her through so many situations before. Maybe, it could help her with this too. As much as she repeated this in her head, she still didn't believe it. Inhaling deeply, she tried to silence the part of her that wanted to give her heart to him. This inner struggle was getting quite tiresome. She got up from the ground and tucked her fan back into the sleeve of her kimono.

Looking out to the water once more, she let out an exasperated sigh. _'I don't even think Sesshomaru is capable of love. Don't high level demon's like himself only mate for power or land?'_ She puzzled at her thoughts, because she herself, had no idea. The only form of a teacher in her life had been Naraku, and she would not will herself to learn from him. It was true, she knew some about demon customs, but that was only what she had learned from observation. The fact still remained that even though she appeared as a full grown woman, she had the ignorance of a child when it came to such matters. Yet another reason she would not let herself be infatuated with him. Even if all her dreams did become reality, and Sesshomaru really did love her, what would she do then? She didn't know how to behave in a castle, to act like royalty. The Lord of the Western lands deserved someone regal, from distinction, and she was anything but. She sighed once more in frustration about how little she knew about her own race. In truth, she didn't feel like she belonged. She had been born of a half demon, and although she was full demon, she never felt accepted. It must have something to do with her relationship to Naraku. Her stomach churned, like it or not she would always be connected to that bastard.

"Kagura" Rin's tiny voice came from the distance.

Kagura turned and saw Rin, sitting up on Ah-Un and looking around. She started making her way slowly back to the campsite.

"Oh there you are Kagura! Rin was worried, Rin thought you might have left Rin" she said happily, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"No Rin, I'm not going anywhere" Kagura said softly as she curled back up beside her. _'Atleast not right now'_ she added silently as an afterthought.

"Good" the child said as she scooted closer to the wind demoness.

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter, I thought it was longer! The next one will be, so look forward to it! Also more action, these chapters are more or less trying to set the tone for the story. Fight scene coming up! Maybe a little citrus...who knows? Stay tuned to find out!**


	4. Butterflies

**A/N: Ok my loyal readers, I am back with another update. This was originally two chapters, but I condensed it into one because of how short they were. This chapter starts to veer away from the anime storyline, but it still has characters from the anime. First fight scene in this chapter, but no lemon yet, but it is coming...**

**As always, I only ask that if you enjoy this story, or if you think it could be better leave me a review! It really helps with motivation and updates (hint hint, lol) Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did, I would be rich now.**

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* * *

**"Kagura! Kagura wake up!" Rin said excitedly, shaking her hurriedly.

Kagura sat up and wiped her eyes as they adjusted to the bright sunlight invading them. Rin still was shaking her, with excitement still ringing in her voice.

"Butterflies! Kagura, there are butterflies everywhere in this tree over here! Come see, come with Rin! Hurry!"

Kagura let a laugh escape her lips "Okay Rin, just a minute." The wind sorceress got to her feet as the girl danced in place, barely able to contain her glee.

"Alright, let's go." No sooner had that escaped her lips did she find herself being pulled hurriedly across the field.

The pair walked for a few minutes until they reached the outskirts of the surrounding forest.

"It's just a little further, there are so many of them and they are so pretty!" Rin cried happily.

Another smile crossed Kagura's face as she delighted in the girl's innocence. She had found herself doing that alot while she was with Rin. She now knew why Sesshomaru had kept her around. Rin had the ability to melt even the coldest of hearts, evidenced by her effect on the demon lord, and now she was helping to heal Kagura's broken spirit. In the three days that she had been with Rin and the others, Rin had been able to slowly heal the damage caused by Naraku that took months to cause. Slowly, she started feeling like her old self again, although she still suffered from the constant nightmares and she was still very fearful about Naraku coming to take her life again. But, she felt much freer now, and was starting to enjoy the feeling of not having to do what she was told to.

"Look Kagura! There they are!" Rin said, pointing at a massive tree a few yards in front of them.

Kagura looked where the girl's finger was pointed and her eyes grew wide. The tree had so many butterflies on it that it looked to have yellow leaves, but it was actually all the golden butterflies that had landed on it. A gentle breeze blew and the tree's branches swayed, causing the mass amount of insects to all flutter their wings at once, making the tree look like it was dancing.

"Oh wow Rin, you weren't kidding. They are beautiful!"

Rin beamed a smile up at her and nodded her head in agreement.

"But you want to see something really beautiful?" She questioned, as Rin looked at her slightly confused.

Kagura took her fan out of her kimono sleeve and directed a steady but gentle breeze to the tree. The gust reached all the butterflies making them all take flight, swirling around each other until almost the whole sky was filled with yellow and black.

Rin's eyes grew as wide as saucers and she let out an excited yell. She ran up to the tree and started swirling about in the midst of the millions of butterflies.

"Come on Kagura! It's so fun!"

The wind sorceress hesitated before joining her, afraid she would be embarrassed if a certain demon lord happened to come across her spinning like a child. Rin's laughter was contagious, and Kagura dismissed her thoughts and came running up to her, twirling around and around.

Little did she know that there was someone watching her, but it was not Lord Sesshomaru.

* * *

Elsewhere, miles away, two pairs of eyes were watching the spectacle unfolding through a mirror.

"Kekeke, Kagura looks so happy now, good for her" Naraku said with a smirk.

Kanna just stood there, emotionless as ever as Naraku watched intently.

"Kanna, would you like to see your sister suffer for her betrayal? I know I would." Naraku said, as his twisted smirk grew larger. "Let's see how she feels when we strike down all those close to her, including Lord Sesshomaru and that girl...and I know just the perfect demon to do it."

As Naraku said this, Moryoumaru came out of the shadows behind him.

"You, Moryoumaru will have the honor of killing Lord Sesshomaru and that impudent wench. But while you're at it, kill the imp and the girl too. You may do it how you wish, but do not return to me until it is done, or there will be severe penalties." His eyes flashed a burning red as the last part escaped his lips.

The giant demon stood up and nodded, a sadistic smile crossing his face.

* * *

Exhausted from chasing butterflies all afternoon, Kagura lay on her back in the middle of the meadow close to their camp. Rin, still filled with endless amounts of energy was jumping and tumbling through the grass nearby. Somehow she had managed to force Jaken to play with her, and Kagura could hear the imp's frustrated cries.

"Come on master Jaken, you have to do what Rin does!"

"Rin, honestly, this is getting tiring! I bore of playing this game!" He said in a high pitched tone.

"Ok" Rin paused as a look of relief fell across his face "Then let's play another game!"

Jaken nearly fell over when he heard her complete the sentence.

'How does that girl have all that energy?' Kagura thought as she watched the clouds go by. At times, she almost felt sorry for the little toad...almost.

"Kagura, when do you think Lord Sesshomaru will be back?" Rin asked, stopping in her tracks. The sudden change in movement caused Jaken to trip over his robes and fall into a crumpled heap at the girl's feet, an agitated groan escaping his lips.

Rin skipped over to Kagura before she could answer and took a seat next to her. Kagura propped herself up on her elbow and answered "I don't know, he's been gone for a day already so I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"Yes Rin knows" replied the child, "Rin just gets sad when Lord Sesshomaru leaves." She turned her glance towards Kagura "Don't you Kagura?"

Kagura smiled at the question. "Yeah, but only a little" she lied.

Rin beamed at her response, and asked a question that almost knocked Kagura over.

"Kagura, do you love Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Rin...I...um" Kagura bit at her bottom lip and could feel her face becoming red.

Rin sat up straighter and awaited Kagura's response.

"I don't know Rin."

"Well, Rin knows that Lord Sesshomaru loves you!"

Kagura lay back down and watched the clouds, contemplating her response to the girl. Surely playing out in the sun too long had boiled her brains or something. This girl obviously had no idea what she was talking about, and probably only based her conclusion on some grand illusion. I mean, this _was_ Sesshomaru she was talking about. The great demon with a heart of stone and a gaze that could cut right through you. If Sesshomaru was indeed capable of loving someone, it certainly wouldn't be her.

"Yeah, and what makes you so sure?"

"Rin just knows, Rin can tell. Lord Sesshomaru would not have saved you if he didn't love you. And Rin can tell that you love Lord Sesshomaru too, even if you don't want to admit it."

It always amazed Kagura how Rin could see right through her. There was something very special about this girl. Her childish innocence and ability to make anything seem simple was amazing. She had come to steal Kagura's heart over the past few days just like she had stolen Sesshomaru's. There was something infectious about Rin and that smile of hers that not even the great and powerful Lord Sesshomaru could resist.

Rin laughed at Kagura's lack of answer to her statement, and Kagura just smiled.

It did not last long however, because at that moment, Kagura felt an immense demonic aura, and it was approaching fast.

She jumped up from her spot in the grass, terror gripping her. She knew exactly who this demonic aura belonged to, and she felt chills run up her spine.

Rin looked up and saw the terrified expression on Kagura's face and looked in the direction she was staring.

"What's wrong Kagura?"

"Jaken!" Kagura screamed, and looked over at where the imp stood, fear on his face as well. He had sensed the aura too. "Jaken!" Kagura screamed once more.

Jaken snapped out of his daze and looked at Kagura

"You and Rin take Ah-Un and get away from here! Now!"

Jaken looked at her for a moment, not sure how he felt about being ordered around by a woman.

"You don't have the authority to boss me around wench!" He screamed at her.

Kagura looked at him, her crimson eyes flaring "How about this...if you don't get out of here, you're both going to be in serious danger! You could be killed, now GO!"

That seemed to be all the encouragement Jaken needed.

"Come Rin! We must leave!"

Kagura felt a tug on the sleeve of her Kimono. She looked down and saw Rin at her feet crying.

"Kagura, I'm scared! I don't want to leave you!" She sobbed.

"Rin you have to go, you'll be in terrible danger if you stay. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you!" She knelt down to look her in the face, "Please."

Rin looked at her as the tears started falling faster, and she nodded her head in agreement.

"Please, be careful Kagura, I don't want anything to happen to you either." she said softly, still sobbing.

"I'll be fine," Kagura said, lying through her teeth "Now go!"

Rin ran off towards Ah-Un as the demonic aura grew stronger, Kagura could feel it was very close now. Rin turned back one last time to look at her. Kagura flashed a forced smile at her to reassure her, before screaming to Jaken "Go find Sesshomaru! Hurry Jaken!"

The imp nodded his head in agreement, as they took to the skies. Rin looked down at Kagura until she could no longer see her, tears still running down her face.

_'Atleast they got away in time'_ Kagura thought to herself. She was no fool, she knew it was nearly impossible for her to defeat Moryoumaru, and if something happened to her, she knew he would go after them next. Her only hope was that they could find Sesshomaru in time, or else her fate was sealed.

At that moment, she looked up into the sky as Moryoumaru descended down in front of her.

* * *

"Quit crying girl! It's becoming bothersome!" Jaken scolded Rin.

"Rin is sorry master Jaken, but Rin is worried about Kagura" she said still wiping tears from her eyes.

"Kagura can take care of herself Rin" said Jaken, surprised that he had just praised that wench.

Rin looked up at him, the smallest of smiles coming back to her face.

"Plus we are going to find Lord Sesshomaru, and then there will be nothing to worry about" Jaken added.

"We need to hurry Jaken! Kagura needs Lord Sesshomaru's help!"

"What do you think I'm doing, Ah-Un can only go so fast girl!"

Rin choked back her tears and silently called out _'Lord Sesshomaru, where are you?'_

_

* * *

_Almost as if he had heard Rin's silent cry, Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks and sniffed the air. He could tell something was wrong. He had left them only a day ago to attend to a pesky demon terrorizing the borders of his lands, making sure that he sensed no danger before leaving. Now, he sensed an immense demonic aura coming from where he had left them. But he was many miles away from them, and it would take time to get back. He took to the skies on his cloud and raced in their direction.

_

* * *

_

"Ah, Kagura" Moryoumaru chuckled, "It seems we have finally found you, and tagging along with Lord Sesshomaru and his group none the less. My, you sure know how to pick them." He paused for a moment and looked around "But, what's this? You're all alone. What a shame, I was hoping to finish you all off in one shot" he said as he laughed sadistically and continued "Oh well, I guess I'll just kill you now and wait until they come back!" His eyes narrowed as he charged at Kagura.

"You bastard!" Kagura screamed as she barely dodged his attack.

Dance of Blades!

Kagura swiped her fan across the air as her wind blades shot out at Moryoumaru. They hit him head on, but she gasped in horror as it dealt no damage to him.

Moryoumaru's sinister laugh rang out, "What's wrong Kagura? Lost your touch?"

"Not on your life!" she cried

Dance of the Dragon!

Her giant dragon shaped tornado leapt forward to Moryoumaru, hitting him dead on in the chest. Once the attack cleared, Moryoumaru stood in front of her still, not a scratch on him.

"You should know by now Kagura, that my body cannot be harmed by you or anyone else, my body is impenetrable"

Kagura knew what he was saying was true, when she had fought him to save Kohaku she could not damage him either. It was Inuyasha's attacks that had damaged him.

Moryoumaru's eyes narrowed once more and blazed red as he looked at Kagura "Now, let's see what my attacks can do to you."

He charged at Kagura, and his right arm turned into a huge tentacle and then into a spear, heading straight for her.

Dance of Blades!

She released her attack once more, hoping to divert his attack. It didn't work and she found herself barely able to avoid his massive spear. She did not escape unscathed however, he had wounded her side with the edge of his spear in passing.

Kagura let out a yelp of pain and her knees weakened. She looked up just in time to see him coming at her again. She mustered all her strength and jumped to the side of the attack and then ran around to the back of him.

Dance of the Dragon!

The huge tornado flew out at him and crashed into his back, this time making a mark in his massive form. Moryoumaru hissed at her "Very good Kagura, you actually managed to make a mark on me, no matter though."

Kagura watched in horror as the cut in his flesh started to heal.

_'No! He'll just keep regenerating himself like Naraku...'_

_

* * *

_Sesshomaru was flying through the air when he could sense Ah-Un coming towards him. His eyes widened as he realized he could sense everyone except Kagura. He hastened his pace and caught up with Jaken and Rin after a few more moments.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried out as she saw his shape come into view.

Jaken pulled the reigns to stop Ah-Un as he caught up to him.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Please go help Kagura!" Rin cried hysterically.

"Rin, calm yourself" Sesshomaru said coolly, successfully masking his concern

She tried to stop her crying in vain as he turned his attention to Jaken.

"Jaken, what is the matter?"

"Milord, we felt a terrible demonic aura approaching, it felt like Naraku's!"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes _'He finally found her'_ he thought.

"Kagura told me to take Rin and run or else she could be killed, so we left and came looking for you" Jaken finished

Sesshomaru looked over at Rin, tears still welling up in her eyes.

"Do not worry Rin, I will bring Kagura back" Sesshomaru stated to his ward.

The slightest of smiles graced her face and she nodded in approval.

"Jaken, take Rin somewhere safe and protect her, I will find you once this is over."

"Yes milord"

"Lord Sesshomaru, please come back and bring back Kagura too" Rin pleaded with him.

He slightly nodded and flew off in the direction of the scent. Once he was out of their sight he let his stoic demeanor falter for just a moment, as concern and anger raged in his eyes.

_'Kagura...hold on' _

_

* * *

_"Now do you understand Kagura? It's hopeless. You will never be able to kill me" Moryoumaru sneered.

Kagura was starting to feel herself grow tired. She had been able to avoid Moryoumaru's relentless attacks up until now, but just barely.

"I don't care if it is hopeless! I will not just roll over and die for the likes of you!" she screamed, steadying herself and pulling back her fan.

Dance of the Dragon!

She watched her attack go towards him, but she didn't see his tentacles coming at her from behind.

She felt searing pain in her back and stomach, and looked down to see two tentacles stabbed through her.

She groaned in pain and started to feel her body go limp.

Moryomaru grinned at her evilly, writhing in pain on his tentacles.

"This is the end for you Kagura" he said as he raised his other hand up and formed it into a spear.

Her eyes grew wide with terror as he started to come at her. At that moment, she saw a blast of brilliant green light come from the sky and rip the spear apart.

Shocked, Moryoumaru looked up at the sky to see Sesshomaru standing there, Tokijin drawn. His face still remained expressionless, but Kagura could see a rage growing in his eyes. The last of her strength drained as her eyes closed.

Sesshomaru slashed Tokijin through the air one more time and disintegrated the tentacles that were holding Kagura. She fell motionless on the ground.

Sesshomaru unleashed a mighty blast from Tokijin, staggering Moryoumaru. He rushed to where Kagura lay on the ground and grabbed her by the waist. He picked her up and sat her down several yards away from Moryoumaru. He rolled her over and looked at her wounds. She was losing alot of blood, she had a serious injury, even for a demon, but she was still alive. He must end this quickly.

"Ah, Sesshomaru, take your time. Make sure that wench is properly taken care of. I wouldn't want her dying before I can finish her off." Moryoumaru seethed.

"You will not speak again" Sesshomaru growled. He could see his vision turning red and feel all his veins throbbing with adrenaline. This surprised the dog demon, normally he was the epitome of calm in the face of battle, but now he felt rage consume him. He suppressed his transformation, for now. There was no need to expend more energy than what is needed on this vermin.

He raised Tokijin, and gathered a massive amount of demonic aura to the sword and swung it at Moryoumaru.

The attack hit him dead center on the chest, and as the energy settled Sesshomaru saw that Moryoumaru had remained unharmed. His impenetrable armor was absorbing every blow.

His face remained as expressionless as ever, and he took to the air, slashing away at his body, every hit glancing off of him, even with the massive amount of demonic energy behind it. He decided to change tactics. He let Moryoumaru come at him, searching for a weakness. He had to have one, every demon does. Sesshomaru easily avoided every attack until he noticed something. Every time he evaded him, Moryomaru made sure not to have his back to him. Any other time this would be completely normal, but Sesshomaru noticed the lack of armor on that spot. With a huge swing he blasted energy at that spot.

Moryoumaru stopped and winced in pain, momentarily stopping his attack. Sesshomaru readied the final blast, but Moryomaru quickly covered the spot on his back with scales.

"It's not going to be that easy Sesshomaru...it's time for you to die!" He yelled, preparing his spear tentacle for the final attack.

Sesshomaru looked at him again, as expressionless as ever and said "I told you, you will not speak again."

He raised his Tokijin up and gathered all his demonic energy into the blade, and he took off toward the spot in Moryoumaru's back. He hit the spot with all his energy, and could hear something cracking. He looked down and realized it was Tokijin. The sword could not handle all the demonic energy that had been poured into it, as well as Moryoumaru's rock hard armor.

"Heh, it's over Sesshomaru!" Moryoumaru cried, sending his tentacle towards Sesshomaru.

"Yes, it is over" said Sesshomaru, pressing the sword into Moryoumaru's back. The cracking sound got louder, and cracks of light started to appear in Moryoumaru's armor.

Dragon Strike!

Moryoumaru stopped his attack, not believing what was happening. A massive amount of demonic energy in the form of a blue dragon surrounded him. He felt a searing pain radiate from his back all around him as his armor broke open.

In that same moment, Tokijin broke in half, the shattered sword falling to the ground. It was of no matter, the damage had already been done and Sesshomaru would not need another attack.

"No, it's not possible!" Moryoumaru cried as his body started to disintegrate.

"Fool, you forget who you are dealing with" Sesshomaru said as he touched the ground "I am Sesshomaru, and I will not lose to the likes of you"

Moryoumaru let out a scream as light began escaping from his body, and at the last moment, a barrier surrounded him and he disappeared into the sky.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and watched him escape into the distance.

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**Ok guys, that's it for chapter 4! Hope you liked it. I will have the next chapter up probably by the middle/late part of next week so stay tuned! **

**Preview for next chapter: Tokijin broken! How will Sesshomaru deal with losing his powerful sword? Will he finally admit to Kagura that he did come to save her?**


	5. His Father's Words

**A/N: Ok my dear readers, here is the next chapter! I know there has been some requests for citrus, and there is a tiny bit in this one, but I assure you it is coming! Probably in the next 2 chapters so stay tuned! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! As always, reviews are always appreciated! **

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did, I would be rich now.**

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**Kagura could see only darkness. She felt like she had been here before. Then she heard a voice from the void.

"Poor Kagura, it seems you failed to kill Moryoumaru. And right about now, your beloved Sesshomaru is meeting his end as well."

Kagura felt tears come to her eyes "No! Naraku you bastard! Get out of my head! Sesshomaru will kill him and then he's going to come after you!"

"Kekeke, you are too confident in him. I assure you, he will not live through this fight, and neither will you. But don't worry, you will see each other soon enough. I told you Kagura, you can never escape me..."

The voice faded and she was left there, crying in the darkness.

* * *

Sesshomaru picked up the shattered remains of Tokijin and walked to where Kagura lay. She was still and pale, and she had lost alot of blood. Sesshomaru noticed that her chest was barely rising and falling with each breath she took. As he looked over her battered body, he realized even now, how beautiful she was. He suddenly felt the urge to comfort her, to hold her in his arms. He wrestled with the thought and finally came to the conclusion that he would merely keep her near him to prevent her from getting cold, nothing more. He dropped the shattered pieces of Tokijin and sat down beside her. He was barely able to sense her aura, and he felt an emotion he had never, in his 700 years of life felt: fear. He was afraid he would lose her, but then he regained his senses as Tensaiga pulsed at his side. Putting the emotion aside and drowning out the voice that said to leave her be, he reached his hand to her. He pulled her close, careful not to move her too much, and positioned her on his lap. He felt her warmth on him, and realized how content he felt sitting there with her. He sat there and watched her, even though he was weak from putting so much energy in the fight, he willed himself to stay awake, and make sure she would come back to him. He stopped as this thought crossed his mind. Before he had even realized it, he had started to develop feelings of affection, even love, towards Kagura. He took a deep breath and looked at her. _'I, Lord Sesshomaru, in love with her? Impossible, this Sesshomaru is incapable of love, it is a weakness, and I am not weak._' He thought battling with the despised emotion.

He heard his father speak to him then, and he almost thought he was dreaming. He soon realized that it was through Tensaiga that he heard his father's voice.

"_Love is not a weakness my son, it is a strength. Love makes you stronger, because you have something you need to protect."_

As he heard those words, he remembered the last night he saw his father alive after the fight with Ryukotsusei. _'Do you have something you need to protect?'_ His father's words echoed what he was hearing now. At that time, he had thought his father to be disgraceful for talking about love. The great demon lord, Inutaisho, had fallen in love, and with a human no less. It was a weak emotion, a human emotion, and he had no need for it back then.

Now he finally understood what his father was talking about.

"_Sesshomaru, I reached my ultimate power not because of my strength, but because I wanted to protect the ones I loved, including you, my son"_

Sesshomaru's eyes grew wide as he realized what his father was telling him. This was the first time he had ever heard his father say that.

"But father, you sacrificed yourself to save that human and your half demon son from being killed. Tell me, how is that strength? Letting yourself die because you felt you had to protect them was foolish, not a show of strength!"

Sesshomaru's anger began to rise as the memories of that night came to mind, his eyes flashing red.

'_To be strong you must be able to protect those who need you, even sacrifice yourself if need be. The strong are responsible for protecting the weak. Never forget that my son.'_

He was shocked out of his inner conversation when he heard a scream emit from Kagura's lips. "NO! SESSHOMARU!" Kagura cried at the top of her lungs and bolted out of her sleep.

She slumped back down as she felt pain rack her entire body. She opened her eyes weakly and looked up to see Sesshomaru above her, staring into her crimson eyes.

She smiled at him, so happy he was ok. And she saw that his expression had softened just a bit.

"Sessho...maru," she said weakly as she began to fall back asleep.

"Yes Kagura" he answered, with the slightest bit of emotion showing in his voice.

"Thank you for saving me" she softly whispered with a smile as her eyes closed again.

_'I never had a choice'_ He thought as his own eyes closed.

* * *

Several hours had passed since the two of them had fallen asleep after the battle with Moryoumaru. Sesshomaru opened his eyes and saw Kagura still fast asleep in his lap. He delicately pulled her kimono back to check on her wounds. Thankfully they had stopped bleeding, but they showed no signs of starting to close. He glanced at the scars on her back, and much to his surprise, they seemed to start to fade slightly. He remembered the words she said to him the first time he saw those scars_ 'I would carry these scars as a reminder that I belonged to him.'_ Sesshomaru felt rage well up inside him at that point. She didn't belong to that despicable half demon abomination. _'She is mine!'_ his inner demon cried out, surprising the demon lord. He gritted his teeth in defiance to what this voice was telling him, he refused to allow himself to fall in love with her and suffer his father's fate.

His thoughts were cut short as a light descended from the sky to the ground in front of him. When the light faded, Totosai was sitting on his cow in front of him. Sesshomaru looked at the old man from where he sat with Kagura, his stoic expression perfectly intact. Totosai dismounted his cow and walked over to the broken remains of Toukijin. He lifted the pieces and inspected them.

"Good riddance to this evil sword," he said as he tossed the pieces to the ground.

Sesshomaru growled lowly to him "Totosai, I assume you have a good reason for being here old man." His piercing yellow eyes nearly staring a hole through Totosai.

Totosai had a momentary look of dread in his eyes as he spit out the words "Yes, I've come to give you your new sword. Or rather tell you how you must acquire it."

Sesshomaru's ears perked up at the mention of this. He carefully repositioned Kagura so he could get up. He started walking further into the clearing with Totosai hobbling after him.

"Speak old man," Sesshomaru said bluntly.

"Well it's simple; all you have to do is prove you're worthy of receiving such a powerful weapon."

"In what way?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Well, ah, I can't tell you that..." Totosai stammered.

Sesshomaru turned to him and growled, he had no patience for Totosai's riddles right now.

"Well, what I mean is you have to figure it out for yourself. You have to be the demon your father intended for you to be. You're a smart man, I'm sure you'll figure it out." And before he could be struck down, the old man jutted off on his cow, only turning briefly to yell back to Sesshomaru.

"Just to let you know Sesshomaru, once you acquire this new weapon, you will finally surpass your father in power."

Sesshomaru watched the old man fly out of sight, and he thought on Totosai's words.

At that moment, he heard his father's last words in his head _'Do you have someone you need to protect Sesshomaru?'_

Sesshomaru slowly looked over at the ground where Kagura still lie.

He smirked to himself, finally realizing what Totosai meant.

* * *

Kagura could finally feel herself waking up, her nightmare was fading from her head. She weakly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Silver wisps surrounded her and she could feel the wind blowing through her hair. For a moment, she feared the worst. _'Did I die?' _She asked silently to herself. Sesshomaru felt her stirring and stopped in midair. He looked down at her still pale face, as her crimson eyes met his.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagura trailed off.

"You have awoken. We are returning to camp where it is safer for you. You are still very weak"

She looked down at her tattered and bloody Kimono. She now remembered what had happened. If Sesshomaru hadn't come for her, she would surely be dead.

"That's the second time you have saved me Sesshomaru" she said softly.

There was no reply from his lips as he started to fly again.

She stared up at him, waiting for the reply, but when it came, it was not what she wanted to hear.

"I came to defeat Moryoumaru." he said monotone. He tried to sound as convincing as he could, holding back those damned emotions. He would not let her see his concern. He vowed that he would come up with a way to put an end to these feelings once and for all

Kagura's eyes welled up, as she choked out the words in as much of a scream as she could muster.

"Then why didn't you just leave me there? If I am none of your concern, why take me back with you!" She weakly tried to push herself away from him.

Sesshomaru stopped and descended to land. As soon as his feet hit solid ground, he released his grip from Kagura's waist. She stumbled slightly and turned to look at him. She made herself stand up straight, but she still clutched her torso as she felt pain emanating from the wound.

"I don't want to be your burden Sesshomaru! If you have no concern, then let me be! I will live out the rest of my days, however numbered they may be, as I always have...alone." Her voice hung on the last words. She tried desperately to summon her courage and put the walls back up to protect herself from being hurt. She looked up to meet his gaze, her eyes summoning as much anger as she could. When she saw the look in his eyes, it all disappeared. There was a kindness and a softness she had not seen before. He looked at her, never taking his eyes off of her.

"Kagura..." he started, pausing to ponder his next thought. The resolve he had moments ago had shattered when he heard the words she spoke. Even though she was angry, she still seemed so fragile, so vulnerable. He tried in vain to keep his emotionless demeanor intact.

Kagura stood there in absolute silence, not knowing what he was going to say next. Her body started shaking lightly from her exertion.

"There is no need for you to be alone anymore. I have already told you I would protect you." He almost felt a physical pain when the words escaped his lips. He could no longer fight these emotions now.

Kagura continued staring into the gold flashes that captivated her every being.

Sesshomaru sighed slightly, relinquishing his control to his emotions. "I came not only for Moyoumaru...I came for you as well."

Kagura could not believe what she was hearing. He had come for her? Did that mean that he also stopped Naraku from killing her as well, not just from a desire to defeat him?

She started to feel weak once more from all the exertion, and her wounds pulsed with pain. She started to fall forward. In a second she felt a strong arm around her. She looked up into Sesshomaru's blazing eyes, and felt herself being pulled closer to him. Their lips were within inches of touching.

"Sesshomaru, we must go. There is no need to do something we would both regret."

He stared deep into her crimson eyes, at the beauty that lie within. He felt his desire start to consume him. He wanted to taste her lips, and he could not overcome the urge, no matter how hard he tried. Sesshomaru continued to pull her to him, their lips finally meeting softly. Kagura felt as if electricity was radiating from her lips, spreading to her whole body, covering her with goosebumps. They pulled away slowly, as Kagura looked at Sesshomaru through lidded eyes.

"There is no regret from this Sesshomaru." He said quietly as he pulled her into his arm and flew off towards camp.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken cried out with relief. He went running towards his Lord but stopped when he saw Kagura bloody and bruised in his arms.

"What happened milord? Did you defeat Moryoumaru?"

Sesshomaru looked quickly at Jaken, his eyes flashing amber.

Jaken cowered away and knew that he better change the subject. Just then Rin came running up behind him, concern filling her eyes.

"Lady Kagura! You're injured! Rin was so worried about you!"

Kagura set foot on the ground, as the small girl came up and wrapped her arms tightly around her. She winced in pain, but forced a smile so she wouldn't upset Rin.

"I'm okay Rin, Lord Sesshomaru saved me," she said, glancing back at Sesshomaru only to see that he had disappeared.

"Rin will go get you something to eat and some water. You go lay down on Ah-Un and rest" she said running off into the forest.

Kagura turned from where the demon lord had stood to look back at Rin. Kagura smiled and walked slowly over to where Ah-Un was lying. She looked down at her kimono, or rather what was left of it and scowled. Her eyes drifted to the many wounds in her chest and she could feel the slight burning feeling of them beginning to heal.

"Well, that's one advantage of being a demon" she said quietly to herself.

Kagura propped herself against Ah-Un and leaned her head back to look at the night sky. She then became lost in her thoughts. _'What was Sesshomaru thinking when he kissed me? Was it out of pity...or some other reason.'_ She felt a small smile come onto her lips, as she gently ran her fingers across them. She then shook her head, realizing the foolishness in her thoughts. _'Why would he want someone like me? He is the great demon lord of the west, and I'm...just a nobody. Even if he does feel that way about me, I won't let him. He deserves better.' _Her heart panged at the thought, there was no denying her feelings for him. Ever since the first time they met, she had desired to be with him. _'So is this what it feels like to be in love? And I just had to pick the most unattainable person in the world to fall in love with.' _Her thoughts were interrupted as Rin came running back with two arms full of apples and pears.

"Look Lady Kagura! Look at all the fruit Rin found! They look so yummy!"

Kagura smiled at her again. Rin always seemed to make her do that. Rin had become like a daughter to her, and she had done more for Kagura than anyone ever had. She had healed her spirit from the deep wounds Naraku had inflicted, and she was changing into the person she was always meant to be.

"Here Lady Kagura! It's so juicy and ripe!" she said handing an apple to her.

"Rin, what is with the 'lady' Kagura?" she asked taking the fruit from her.

"Because, you and Lord Sesshomaru are going to get married! So I have to start calling you Lady Kagura!" she beamed.

Kagura scoffed as she bit into the apple. She didn't know what Rin was thinking, but it was wrong.

"Rin, it is not like that between Sesshomaru and me. Even if it was, it would never work. And besides, demons don't get married, they become mates, humans marry."

Rin looked at her confused. "But you're wrong Lady Kagura! Rin knows Lord Sesshomaru very well, better than Jaken, and Rin knows he loves you!"

"Well, I don't love him."

Rin laughed softly "Why must you lie to Rin Lady Kagura? Rin knows you well too, and Rin knows you love Lord Sesshomaru. So then what is the problem?"

Kagura paused from eating the apple, and her head dropped. She tried to think of what to tell the girl, how to put it so she would understand.

"Listen Rin...I'm not good enough for him." was all she replied, as tears welled in her eyes.

Rin looked at Kagura and saw the tears begin to run down her face. She dropped the apple she was eating, and hugged her.

"Don't say that Lady Kagura! You are a wonderful person, Rin knows! And if two people love each other, then they should be together no matter what!"

It always amazed Kagura how Rin seemed wise beyond her years. Maybe it was something she picked up from traveling with Sesshomaru, or maybe she was just born that way.

"It's not that simple Rin" she said running her fingers through Rin's dark locks.

"Yes it is!" Rin exclaimed with a smile on her face.

Kagura just sighed and went to get up, ignoring the pain that shot through her body.

"Where are you going Lady Kagura?" Rin asked looking up at her.

"I'm going to wash the blood off of me." She said, hoping Rin would not follow. She loved the girl dearly, but right now she just wanted some time alone, away from all her innocent questions.

"Ok" Rin said, seeming to sense Kagura's desires. With that she went to where Jaken was sitting and started pestering him, saying something about tongue twisters.

* * *

**Awhh! He kissed her! Who knew Sesshomaru could be so gentle? Will he continue to show his emotions to Kagura or will his heart harden towards her? You'll have to stay tuned to find out!**

**Preview for next chapter: Sesshomaru comes to a conclusion about Kagura and what about Moryoumaru? Will he make another appearance?**


	6. When the son surpasses the father

**A/N: Next update everyone! More action in this chapter as Kagura and Sesshomaru continue to wrestle with their feelings. I know this story is drifting from the original manga/anime, but that is how I intended it to be. It will still have many of the same characters, but not all elements from the anime are going to be present. Think of it as CANON but with a different outcome, lol. Hope you guys enjoy, this is by far my longest chapter and the next should be about this length as well due to squeezing in the much requested lemon! :-) I know I sound like a broken record, but please Review, even if it is constructive criticism, we writer thrive off review and it makes the time we put into writing these stories for all of you that much more rewarding! I just want to be appreciated, lol! **

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did I would be rich.**

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Sesshomaru was sitting high atop a cliff a few miles from the others, He had to put some space in between him and Kagura. He looked out over the valley below and cursed himself. Why had he let himself become so weak as to kiss that woman. He silently began cursing his father as well. _'Father, why did one of your more disgusting traits have to be passed down to this Sesshomaru?'_ He had not intended to kiss Kagura, but before he knew it, his lips were on hers. It was all because of his father's words to him that day, that nonsense he was spewing had gotten to him and he let his icy demeanor falter because of it. That was why he kissed that woman, not because he had feelings for her, but because he was not thinking straight at the time. He dug his claws into his hands, trying to shock himself out of this disgusting spiral of emotions. _'It is not befitting for this Sesshomaru to have these feelings. Emotions are for humans and the weak, and I, Lord Sesshomaru am neither.'_ Even as he was trying to will himself to not think about her, she would not stay out of his head.

He had left right after they arrived at camp. He needed some time to reprioritize himself, and even though he hated to leave her in that condition, he willed himself to leave. His steely resolve was slowly starting to regenerate. He must get her out of his head, and out of his life. He thought about sending her away, but he knew that would only upset Rin. She had grown quite fond of Kagura, and as much as he hated to admit it, he had as well. He cursed his father once again as he saw her face come to his thoughts. What was it about her that he could not shake from his being? She was, after all, an incarnation of Naraku. She should be lucky he hadn't killed her when he had the chance. Still, there was a desperation about Kagura. Her desire to escape Naraku fascinated him. She would do whatever it took to be free of him, even though she knew if she was caught it would be the end of her. The day he rescued her from the stream was when he realized his feelings had changed towards her. Seeing her half dead awoke a desire inside of him to protect her, although he did not dare admit it to anyone, even himself. These thoughts frustrated him, and he knew he must do something to get his mind off of them. _'I must send her away'_ He thought again, even if Rin would get upset, she would eventually get over it. He felt an anger consume him as he knew his thoughts held no grounds, he had sworn to protect her, and he would not give up his vow. However, when he had made that promise, he did not foresee these complications. As much as he tried, he could not bring himself to do it. He felt sickened at the sorry state he was in. He summoned as much power as he could, and released it in one massive wave all around him, willing his emotions to go with it. The blast destroyed the nearby trees and flew over the edge of the cliff, casting the ground below in a green mist. He slowed his thoughts and cleared his mind. Now since he had been away from her for awhile, he was finding it easier to calm the desire that raged in him, which brought on these feelings.

He looked back over the valley once more, back to the campground. _'I should go back and check on Rin' _he thought, convincing himself that was the real reason he wanted to go back. He would be damned if he ever let his feelings show toward her again like he did today. If he could not control his thoughts, he could atleast control his actions. With his new resolve in place, he flew back over to the campsite.

* * *

Kagura walked through the forest, maybe for a hundred yards until she came upon some hot springs. The steam was dancing off the water, spiraling towards the sky in the cool night breeze. It looked secluded enough, somewhere where she thought she would not be disturbed. Right now, she just wanted to be alone.

She stripped off her bloody Kimono and jumped into the water, the stark contrast in temperature making her gasp slightly until she got used to it. She pulled her Kimono into the water and walked over to center of the spring. She dunked her kimono under the water and started rubbing the material vigorously, trying to get all the blood out.. The magic material it was made from had already repaired all the holes from the fight. When she judged it clean enough, she threw it up on a branch above the water for it to dry. She then sunk down into the spring, with only her nose above the water. She cast her eyes down and could see the water turning red from all the blood still caked on her body. The sight disgusted her and she dipped below the waterline and swam to the other side of the pool. When she surfaced again, she pulled her hair down, letting it cascade down her back. She arched her back and dipped her head back into the water, the motion caused her wounds to ache, but she willed herself to bare it. She wanted to wash away the memories of the fight, and of Sesshomaru's kiss. She ran her fingers through her hair in the water, making sure to wash away all the dirt. After she was done, she went over to a small rock jutting out of the water and sat on it, her wounds starting to throb from the heat of the water. The cool night air opposed the steamy water and it felt good. She sat there, her naked form illuminated in the moonlight and began to think. When her thoughts quickly morphed into those of Sesshomaru, she stopped herself, her willpower kicking in. "No, you're not going to think about him. You just got your heart back, there is no sense in letting it get broken" she said aloud. Her heart started beating faster as she continued to wrestle her thoughts. "I don't deserve him! I'm not going to let him throw away his life for someone like me, I love him too much to do that. He belongs with a powerful demoness, who is of noble blood, not someone like me, an incarnation of a monster!" She raised her voice slightly, hoping the tone would snap some sense into her and make her realize the truth. She stopped when she felt Sesshomaru's aura coming closer through the woods.

* * *

Sesshomaru appeared behind Kagura and stopped once he saw her naked form lounging on the rock. His desire multiplied when he glanced upon her soft silhouette in the dim moonlight, her ebony tresses cascading down her back and over her shoulders. She was indeed beautiful, there was no denying that. He stopped his thoughts and willed them away, forcing himself to speak.

"Who were you talking to Kagura?" he asked

"Oh...nobody." She hung her head and scolded herself for not noticing him earlier. _'Did he hear what I said?'_ she worried to herself. Then she realized that she was still naked, embarrassed, she quickly slid herself into the water.

"How long have you been out there?" she asked with her back to him, not bearing to look into his eyes.

"Long enough" came the reply.

She sat there in the water, silent, slightly shaking her head. _'How could I have been so stupid?' _She waited for the inevitable direction that the conversation would take, her heart pounding in her chest.

"How are your wounds?" he asked, his emotionless voice piercing the silence. Sesshomaru would not press the matter of what he heard, it was a conversation he would not will himself to conduct.

She sighed in relief at the change of subject.

"They're healing. They should be gone in a couple of days." she said, still with her back turned to him. She didn't know if she could face him after what had happened earlier, and now after he had saw her naked body, and possibly heard her self scolding.

"Why do you not face me?" he asked coolly

Kagura froze at the comment, _'How does he know what I am thinking?'_ In defiance of her better judgment, she turned in the water and looked at him, his amber eyes locking with hers.

She tried to think of a reply quickly, but all she managed to come up with was "Well it's not really appropriate" her eyes leaving his gaze as she spoke.

"Very well," he said, turning his back to her "get dressed so we may talk."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Talk about what?" Her emotions were running wild with anticipation.

"Get dressed." He replied, as he took a few steps away from the edge of the spring.

She swam over to the other side and pulled herself out of the water. Sesshomaru could hear her soft footsteps, and he resisted the urge to turn around and claim her. She took her fan from the ground and waved it at her kimono, shooting a gust of air and drying it instantly. She slipped it over her shoulders and tied the sash around her waist.

"Ok, you can turn around" she said, tying her damp hair back up.

He turned once again to face her, but remained where he was. There was a silence between them that seemed to last for ages. She looked at him, trying to figure out what he wanted to talk about, but could not get anything from his indiscernible expression. _'Tell me, tell me you want me, I want to hear it!'_ she pleaded silently to herself, but she quickly dismissed the thought as ludicrous. Just because they had shared an insignificant kiss earlier did not mean that he would want to have her.

"What are you going to do after Naraku is defeated?"

She breathed a silent sigh of relief once more and leaned back on the trunk of the tree she was standing under. As much as she wanted to hear those words uttered from Sesshomaru's lips, she didn't think she could handle it right now.

"I don't know, I never really thought of it before. I suppose I'll travel and live my life, now that it is mine again."

He looked up to gaze at the sky at her reply, and asked "And after that?"

"Well, I guess I'll figure that out when I get there." she said _'What is he getting at?'_ she asked silently. Before she knew it, her lips blurted the thought out loud. She gasped at what she had just said as Sesshomaru turned his gaze back to her.

He stared at her, his eyes not blinking, and she felt herself started to melt as she got lost in those gorgeous eyes.

"When I defeat Naraku, you may stay with me if you like. Rin has grown fond of you, and I don't want her to be upset." He said, lying through his teeth, able to suppress his emotions only through years of practice. Ever since that kiss, the determination he had to send her away after Naraku was defeated had diminished. Even the resolve he had minutes ago had suddenly left him as soon as he had set eyes upon her. He _wanted_ her to stay, but she could never know that. What was happening to him? He had always been a demon that knew exactly what he wanted, and exactly how to do it, but lately this woman was consuming all his thoughts. He hardly had a moment's peace in his mind, because now it was filled with thoughts of her.

Kagura smirked and said "Yeah, I like her too. I know now what you saw in her when you saved her. She is very special." She paused before continuing, "But don't you have to go back to your castle? You are Lord of the West afterall."

"Yes, I will have to return someday. There is much that needs to be done. I will allow you to stay there if you will remain with Rin."

She laughed softly "I don't think I'm exactly the castle type, I would not know what to do."

He scoffed "It is no different than anywhere else."

She just stood silent, trying to make sense of the conversation. How she longed to tell him how she felt, but her thoughts kept racing back to how she was not good enough for him. As much as she wanted to go with him back to his castle, she would never allow it. She felt her heart ache, a now familiar event anytime Sesshomaru was around.

"I'll think about it." she said finally.

"As you wish." He said, taking his gaze off her.

"It is late, you must rest. You are still not fully recovered." he added, turning from her.

_'Tell him! Tell him how you feel!'_ her inner voice pleaded._ 'No, I can't! I won't let my heart be broken, it would never work!'_ She yelled back, trying to calm the nagging voice. Kagura felt herself losing the battle and unconsciously she muttered aloud "Sesshomaru..."

He turned back to face her as he heard his name. She started walking towards him at a steady pace.

"What is it, Kagura?" he asked, watching her every move. He could see a look of longing in her eyes and it made his emotions run wild. _'Tell her damnit! Tell her you need her! Tell her you want her!_' He felt Tenseiga begin to pulse again. _'Be silent!'_ he roared to both his sword as well as to himself.

She stopped a mere foot away from him and looked up at his consuming gaze. He stared into her glistening eyes, glimmering in the moonlight. He once again resisted the urge to claim her.

"I..." Before the words could escape her lips, she paused, fear gripping her. She felt a demonic aura quickly approaching. Moryoumaru had come back to finish the job, it seemed.

Sesshomaru tore himself away from her gaze, looking in the sky towards the direction the aura was coming from. His eyes narrowed as he too, recognized the scent.

"Kagura, go get Jaken and Rin and leave." he said, a slight urgency tingeing his voice.

"But what about you? Your sword was broken! I can help!"

He turned to her with fierce eyes, "You are still too injured and weak to be of any assistance. Do not underestimate this Sesshomaru, I do not need a sword to deal with this vermin. Now go, you will only be in my way."

Kagura glanced at him one last time as he turned to face the opposite direction. Her heart told her not to leave him, but she knew better. As much as his words hurt, she knew he spoke the truth. She was no match for Moryoumaru, even more so now that she was injured. She turned to run back to camp. She only managed to get about 20 feet away when she was stopped by Moryoumaru's massive form landing in front of her.

"Well Kagura, it seems you are tougher to kill than I thought. I promise I won't make that mistake again." He said, smiling sadistically.

He shot his tentacles out towards Kagura and she saw a flash of green before her eyes. Sesshomaru stood beside her, his energy whip dissipating.

"Go now Kagura." he said calmly.

Kagura nodded and took off back towards camp.

"Not so fast," Moryoumaru taunted.

He sprung up tentacles from the ground, and ensnared Kagura within them. She struggled to try and reach her fan, but the more she moved, the tighter they became. She started to feel her lungs being crushed by their grip and she choked out "Damn you!"

Sesshomaru ran towards Kagura but was stopped when Moryoumaru lashed his other arm, forcing him to jump back a bit.

"I am going to make her watch while I kill you. Without your precious sword, it won't be hard at all." He mocked.

Sesshomaru's eyes went red. "I do not need a sword to dispose of you, you insignificant pest."

Moryoumaru let out a chuckle. "Well then, let us begin."

Energy started swirling around Sesshomaru, the sight of Kagura in pain again had enraged him. He tensed his hand and charged at Moryoumaru, leaping in the air. He came down and struck him on the shoulder, his hand bouncing off his reinforced armor. His feet landed and he took off charging again, slicing the part of his back that was weakened by the Tokijin earlier. He managed to scrape him, injecting his poison into his flesh. He ran off to the side of him and watched as Moryoumaru only chuckled.

"Sesshomaru, your poison has no effect on me. Nice try though."

With that Moryoumaru charged at Sesshomaru, slicing through the air with his hand in the shape of a spear. Sesshomaru easily avoided his attacks as he pulled out his energy whip and began slicing furiously at Moryoumaru. Each time the attack bounced off of his armor plated body.

"You better hurry up and end this, or else Kagura won't survive long enough to see me kill her lover" Moryoumaru sneered.

Sesshomaru glanced over at Kagura, he could see the vines tightening around her, choking her. Kagura tried desperately to loosen the grip the vines had around her, but she was unable to move. She felt her wounds start to open again from the pressure being exerted on her body. Sesshomaru flipped backwards and touched the ground, and leapt over to where Kagura was. She looked up at him, terror in her eyes and she weakly choked out "Don't worry about me." He started slashing furiously at the vines, but everytime he cut some, more would spring up in their place. His heart started beating faster as rage and concern overtook him. He was so fixated on the vines that he did not see Moryoumaru's spear heading straight for him. He caught the feel of the impending attack and shifted out of the way just in time. He did, however, not escape unscathed. The spear tore through the flesh in his arm, but the resistance of it hitting Sesshomaru saved Kagura from being impaled. He broke away from Moryoumaru's tentacle and jumped back to a distance.

"It seems that she will get to see you die. This fight may be over sooner than I expected."

As he said that Sesshomaru could feel his left arm start to tingle. He looked down and saw a massive amount of light exuding from it. The tingling sensation grew more intense as the strange light burned brightly. Upon seeing this Moryoumaru charged in for another attack, not wanting to give Sesshomaru a chance to use this new attack. He raised his hand, aimed straight for Sesshomaru's heart and struck.

Fear clutched Moryoumaru as he felt immense pain rack through his arm. He pulled away in shock and stared at his sliced appendage. His shock then morphed into horror as he saw that where the cut was made was starting to eat away the flesh of his arm. He looked back at Sesshomaru with anger.

Sesshomaru stood there, clutching a sword raised in his newly recovered left arm, his wound disappearing quickly. He growled at Moryoumaru, and without a single word, leapt into the air and slashed the stunned demon across the stomach, drawing him nearly in half. His new sword easily able to pierce through his thick armor like it was nothing.

Moryoumaru felt his entire body burning. He looked down to see his body dissolving before his eyes.

"No! It isn't possible, no blade can pierce my armor!" He turned around to glare at Sesshomaru and fell on his knees.

"It seems you are finished" Sesshomaru said coldly. He put the new sword in his sash and watched as Moryoumaru started to dissolve into nothingness. Suddenly a bright light exploded from Moryoumaru's chest and flew off towards the sky. Sesshomaru stared at it and his eyes widened as he could have sworn he saw the figure of a child in the capsule. Before he could get a good enough look, the orb was gone. _'What was that?'_ he thought, but his concern quickly switched to Kagura.

He turned to Kagura and saw the vines starting to dissolve around her. He was beside her in a flash, catching her in his arms before she hit the ground. She clutched her chest as she gasped for breath and started shaking violently. She looked up at him, as relief came to her eyes.

"That makes three times." She said barely above a whisper.

"Are you injured?" he asked, his red eyes fading back to their normal amber.

She nodded "No, I'm just a little out of breath and bruised...Where did that sword come from?" She asked, looking down at the hilt of the blade coming out of his sash.

Just then Totosai landed beside them in a flash of light. Kagura looked at him suspiciously "Who is this old geezer?"

"I ain't an old geezer!" Totosai huffed.

Sesshomaru turned to him, "Explain this to me" he said, looking down at his sword.

"Ahhh! So you got it! That was much sooner than I expected. Let me see it." he said, motioning towards the sword.

Sesshomaru pulled the sword from his sash and handed it to the old sword smith. Totosai sat down on the ground and started examining the sword.

"Yes, this is a fine sword indeed. Bakusaiga" he said, holding the sword up in the moonlight.

Sesshomaru stood there staring at him, waiting for him to continue.

"This sword was inside you the whole time, you just had to prove you were worthy to wield it. And you did that when you saved her." Totosai stated, looking at Kagura before continuing. "This sword has the ability to make any demon cut by it not be able to regenerate, and it keeps on dissolving them until there is nothing left."

"Interesting" replied Sesshomaru, marveling at the sword.

"It seems that you have done your father proud, he would have loved to see the day his son surpassed him in power for the right reasons."

Sesshomaru growled lowly, and Totosai changed the subject.

"If you give me a day, I can make a fitting sheath for it." he said, handing the sword back to Sesshomaru.

"Very well" Sesshomaru said. He picked up Kagura from where she stood beside him and carried her back to camp.

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru! What was that frightening evil aura I felt? Was there a battle?" Jaken asked running up to his master.

"It was nothing Jaken." Sesshomaru said shortly.

Jaken looked at his master and his chin nearly dropped to the ground when he saw Kagura in his arms. Slowly he realized what he was looking at.

"Milord, your arm has returned! How is this possible?" he paused as he noticed the new sword at his master's side. "And you have a new weapon as well! What on earth happened?"

Sesshomaru ignored the toad and walked over to where Rin was sleeping on Ah-Un. He gently put Kagura down beside her. She sat up and looked at him with sadness in her eyes.

"I'm leaving tomorrow" she said, staring into his eyes.

"Oh?" he said emotionless, although inside he wanted to make her stay.

"I've been putting you through too much trouble. I feel like I am only a burden to you, so I'm going to leave."

He turned from her and said "And what do you plan to do if Naraku finds you by yourself Kagura?"

She gasped at his words, and knew he spoke the truth. She knew she could not fight Naraku, especially in her weakened condition. She clenched her fists at the thought of him. Even though she had her heart back, she was still not free of him. She knew he would hunt her down as long as he was alive. Still, she did not want to bring all this danger to Sesshomaru and Rin. She would die if anything were to happen to them on her account.

"But all this is my fault! Naraku would not be coming for you so much if I wasn't here! You even got injured because of me! I would die if anything happened to you..." She stopped abruptly when she realized what she had just said. She held her hand up to her mouth, covering it, willing it not to speak again.

Though she could not see it, Sesshomaru let a small smile creep across his face at her honestly. "I was careless, it shall not happen again. I am more than capable of handling anything Naraku may think of now." He said walking away.

* * *

Totosai was in the process of forging his sheath when Sesshomaru came back. He looked up briefly at the demon lord, waiting to see if he would say anything. Sesshomaru merely walked past him, placing the Baksaiga on the ground beside the sword smith before leaning against a nearby tree. Totosai could bear the silence no more.

"So, it seems you are more like your father than you thought Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru glanced with narrowed eyes at the sword smith for bringing up his sorest subject, but said nothing.

"I imagine your father always knew this would happen. You've talked to him since he died, haven't you?"

The old man's knack for knowing these things stunned Sesshomaru momentarily, "That is none of your concern. You should be more concerned about forging that sheath."

Totosai gulped, he knew not to press the issue for fear of his life. _'So, it seems that even Lord Sesshomaru is capable of feelings. I never thought it would happen, but it seems you knew it all along master.'_ He thought staring up at the sky. With that, he started hammering away at the sword again.

A few hours passed and Totosai was still working diligently on the sword. The clanging of his hammer against metal and his occasional exhale of flames the only sound heard in the darkness. Sesshomaru was still leaning against the tree with his eyes closed. He opened them quickly when he sensed Kagura coming towards them.

"Why are you awake? You need rest." Sesshomaru remarked.

"Well it's kind of hard to sleep with the old man making so much noise." She said, eyeing Totosai.

He looked up momentarily at Kagura, with a questioning look in his eye "Who, me?" he asked.

She sighed and walked closer to Sesshomaru.

"How are your wounds?"

"Better," she paused "They are closing quickly but I am still sore."

"That is to be expected from injuries such as yours." Sesshomaru responded, shifting his gaze to her.

"Yeah..." she trailed off. She slowly stepped forward to where Sesshomaru was. She leaned next to him against the other side of the tree.

"Your right" she started slowly.

Sesshomaru cast a questioning glance in her direction.

"If I were by myself, Naraku would kill me if he found me. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not strong enough to beat him. So, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to stay with you." She said, looking over to meet his gaze.

They locked eyes and Sesshomaru said "It is no trouble. I will deal with Naraku." Sesshomaru could feel her crimson eyes staring longingly into his. Kagura sighed heavily, she wanted to say more to Sesshomaru, but didn't know how to begin. He interrupted her thoughts before she could say anything.

"Kagura, there was a strange light that escaped Moryoumaru's body when I destroyed him. Do you know what it was?"

Her eyes grew wide with the realization of what he was talking about. "That's Naraku's heart! I thought when Moryoumaru died then it would have taken his heart with him." She looked at Sesshomaru, only to see him giving her a questioning look.

She started to explain the situation to the best of her knowledge. "Naraku made his heart separate from his body at Mount Hakurei, into the incarnation of an infant, Akago. He then sealed Akago inside Moryoumaru in order to protect him. But, it doesn't make sense, there should have been no way Akago could've survived a blow like that to Moryoumaru." Kagura's eyes started to exude anger. "Damn that Naraku, he is always one step ahead!"

"It is of no matter, now that I know what Naraku is up to, I will kill him and the incarnation of his heart." Sesshomaru said, his calm demeanor staying perfectly intact.

The silence interrupted their conversation. They looked over at Totosai and saw him staring at them, hammer in mid swing.

"Is there a problem old man?" Kagura asked annoyed.

Totosai shook his head, coming out of his daze. He started hammering away in a rhythmic motion once more.

"Tomorrow, I will search for Naraku. I sense a thick miasma cloaking the North, it is likely Naraku. It will be a long journey so you must rest."

Kagura nodded in agreement. She had still felt Naraku's presence inside her, since she was still connected to him, much to her chagrin.

"He has to be that way, I feel him there." she said finally.

Sesshomaru looked at her but did not say a word.

"Well, I guess I'll try to get some sleep. Looks like he's done anyways." She stared in Totosai's direction. He was sliding the Bakusaiga into it's newly made sheath.

"Got done sooner than I expected!" Totosai said cheerfully.

Sesshomaru walked over to where he sat and Totosai handed him the sheathed sword. Sesshomaru inspected the sword smith's handiwork, while Totosai looked on nervously.

"This is acceptable." He said, sliding the sword into his sash above the Tenseiga.

And with that Totosai jumped on his cow and was gone before he could change his mind or even speak again.

"Well, good night then." Said Kagura, walking back towards the campfire.

"Good night" said Sesshomaru simply.

* * *

**Ok, end of chapter! Hope you liked it, and I am hoping to update again soon. **

**Preview for next chapter: A run in with some old "friends" and of course, the much anticipated lemon! **


	7. A field of lilies

**A/N: Ok my lovelies, here is the next chapter. And YES this chapter does have the much awaited citrus! Fair warning right now, I did get moderately graphic in it, so if you are under 18 or don't want to see it, you have been warned! Hopefully it is not so bad to get me banned, lol. I tried to keep it as M rated as possible, but I have no idea what the guidlines are for this site, but in my personal opinion, it is a high M rating. Also, I had the song "Love, Hate, Sex, Pain" by Godsmack in my head while I was writing, because it kinda describes Kagura and Sesshomaru's relationship up to now. I hope you all enjoy reading, this is my first love scene in a story (well, one where I had to be conscious of what I said) so I hope I do not disappoint! Also, I would like to thank all my reviewers! It really is appreciated, you have no idea how much! So, if you want to hold a special place in my heart, REVIEW! :-) Anyways, without further ado, here's my next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Oh! One more thing, I LOVED writing the part with Miroku, I couldn't help myself, lol.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, if I did, I would be rich now.**

**

* * *

**The next morning they all woke up early to start the hunt. Sesshomaru had not slept at all that night, but that was not unusual for him. Kagura was waking up Rin as Sesshomaru came over to them greeted by Jaken running up to him.

"Good morning milord! May I ask what we are doing today?" he asked cheerfully.

"Don't be stupid Jaken, we are looking for Naraku" came the cold reply from his lord.

Kagura had finally managed to wake Rin up, and she was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes wearily. She looked up at Kagura and beamed a smile at her "Good morning Lady Kagura! How are you feeling?"

Sesshomaru heard that Rin had addressed Kagura as "lady" and it stunned him for a brief moment. He let this sink in, not entirely sure what he felt about hearing that. The title of lady was supposed to be reserved only for his mate, it was a title of authority, not just something anyone was worthy of. Jaken's shrill voice broke his thoughts.

"Rin, don't address her as such, that good for nothing wench is not Lord Sesshomaru's..."

"Jaken" Sesshomaru said sternly, eyeing the toad with a death stare.

"Aye milord?" Jaken replied, his voice quivering.

"That is enough" came the reply.

Kagura smiled warmly at Rin, ignoring Jaken and said "Much better today Rin. I am almost completely healed."

"Oh good! Rin is so glad you are feeling better!" she said getting up.

Kagura laughed at her when she saw the mess that her hair was in. The ponytail that usually stuck up from the top of her head was now leaned over to the side and coming undone, and the back of her hair was one large knot. "Rin, come here, let me do something with your hair."

Rin looked at her with a questioning expression as she felt the back of her hair, and smiled, slightly embarrassed.

She walked over to Kagura and sat down in front of her. Kagura began running her fingers though the girls knotted hair, straightening her long locks. She then took the barrette out of her hair and gathered up strands of hair to reshape her ponytail. When she was finally satisfied she said "There, all done."

Rin got up and said excitedly "Oh thank you Lady Kagura!" Jaken looked on with disgust, but he dared not open his mouth at the risk of getting hit.

"We are going." Sesshomaru said calmly as he started walking through the forest.

The rest of the group got up and started following behind him.

* * *

They had been walking for nearly two days, and there was hardly any talk between Kagura and Sesshomaru, It may just be her imagination, but it seemed like he was trying to keep his distance from her ever since the final battle with Moryoumaru. She knew something was troubling him, but she could not bring herself to ask him what it was. Truth be told, she was almost glad at the separation, it helped to regain her will to not let herself fall for him. Still, it pained her not to be able to talk to him like she wanted. Kagura glanced behind her at Rin and Jaken. Jaken was once again complaining to Sesshomaru about wanting to rest and Rin was running circles around him and Ah-Un, singing a song. Suddenly she felt a very familiar aura. She looked over at Sesshomaru and could see his eyes narrow, "It seems that half demon Inuyasha and his rabble are nearby." Kagura nodded and continued to walk beside Sesshomaru, letting an inward sigh go. True they were not enemies anymore, but she was not looking forward to running into them.

Shortly after that, they came upon Inuyasha and his group, sitting in a clearing in the forest. Inuyasha stood up from the tree he was leaning against, scowling at his older half brother. Kagome sat beside him and looked in the direction of Sesshomaru and Kagura, surprise crossing her face.

"What are you doing here Sesshomaru?" He growled.

Sesshomaru smirked slightly, "Just what I was about to ask you _little_ brother"

Inuyasha pulled out the Tetsusaiga in response to his brother's mocking tone. "You better not of come here looking for a fight, because I'll be glad to give it to you." Then his eyes drifted over to Kagura, he had been too preoccupied with his brother to notice her standing beside him. A look of confusion contorted his face seeing the wind user tagging along with Sesshomaru. As far as he knew, they were still bitter enemies and the last people he would expect to be traveling together.

"Kagura? What are you doing here?" he asked, with the slightest tone of disgust in his voice.

Kagura had not seen Inuyasha and his friends since the day she had saved Kohaku. It seemed things had become different between them that day, but now Inuyasha seemed suspicious of her. Perhaps it was because she was traveling with Sesshomaru.

She heard Sesshomaru utter a low growl at his brother's tone, much to her surprise. She walked between the two brothers and said "Now, now boys. There is no need to fight. We're all civil here."

Sesshomaru scoffed, as he took his hand off of Baksusaiga. Inuyasha watched his move and noticed his newly recovered appendage, as well as his new sword.

He looked past Kagura at Sesshomaru and said "Hey, Sesshomaru! How'd you get your arm back, and what's with that new sword?"

Sesshomaru replied in a monotone voice "Why Inuyasha? Would you like me to demonstrate it's power on you?"

Inuyasha jumped in the air, Tetsusaiga over his head screaming "You bastard, I'll show you!"

"SIT!" Came Kagome's voice from by the tree. Inuyasha was slammed down hard, face down in the dirt. Kagome came running over to Kagura and said "I'm so relieved your ok Kagura, after we saw you last, we all feared for the worst."

Kagura broke her gaze away from the subdued half demon and looked at Kagome, "Yeah, I'm fine" she said simply, not wanting to elaborate at the moment.

"We are leaving" Sesshomaru said at last.

Kagura turned to look at him and said "Well maybe we should stay for a little while Sesshomaru. They may have some information on Naraku that we don't, and I'm sure they'll be interested to hear about Moryoumaru's demise."

Kagome gasped, and Inuyasha sat up from his newly formed indention in the ground.

"What do you mean he's dead? How?"

Kagura continued, taking the chance to praise Sesshomaru. "Sesshomaru killed him, Moryoumaru was no match for that new blade of his." Sesshomaru took his gaze off Inuyasha and realized Kagura staring at him, smiling.

"So does that mean Akago is gone too?" Kagome asked.

Kagura swapped her gaze back to Kagome "No, he managed to get away."

Just then the monk and the demon slayer came down from the sky, jumping off Kirara and walking up to the group.

"Sango, Miroku, you're back! Did you find anything?" Kagome asked turning to them.

"We found a strong miasma a few days to the North, with a barrier surrounding it. It has to be Naraku" Miroku said, looking at Kagura and Sesshomaru.

"Well Kagura, it seems you are alright, we were all worried about you." Miroku stated, smiling warmly.

"Yeah" she simply replied. She knew not to say anything about Sesshomaru saving her, she did not want Inuyasha or any of them to know what he did.

She noticed the monk walk over to her "So Kagura, how did you end up traveling with Sesshomaru?" He asked curiously.

As Kagura started to answer she felt a massive amount of anger came over her as she realized the monk's hand was stroking her bottom.

Dance of Blades!

She screamed out the attack and let it go flying at Miroku. The monk managed to successfully dodge the attack.

"Don't ever try that again monk!" Kagura seethed.

Just then Sango's massive Hiraikostu came crashing down one the monk's head, causing a massive welt. The demon slayer's eyes burned even redder than Kagura's fiery orbs, effectively putting the fear of Kami into him.

He managed to choke out a response to Sango "Sango, you know I only have eyes for you!"

"But you have enough ass grabs to go around to everyone" came the sharp reply from Inuyasha.

"Apologies" said Miroku, rubbing his head. "When there is a pretty lady around I just can't help myself, it has a mind of its own!" He said, holding his hand up and pointing to it.

Little did Miroku know just how lucky he was. Sesshomaru took his hand off of Bakusaiga's hilt. His reaction was to immediately cut him down, but his rationale kicked in. _'If I do that, these bakas will think I have some feeling for Kagura.' _Heput the sword away, his anger still seething at the lecherous monk, hands still balled up into a fist.

Little did he know, his reaction was witnessed by Kagome, but she successfully hid her surprised smile from his view.

After the whole fiasco calmed down, Kagura noticed Sango staring at her.

"Kagura," Sango said, finally speaking after staring at Kagura for well over a minute "I never got a chance to thank you for saving Kohaku."

Kagura smiled at her "No sweat, the kid has grown on me. Where is he anyways? I'd like to see him again."

Sango looked down at the ground "We don't know, we haven't seen him since then either."

Kagome could sense Sango's sadness and interjected. "Hey, why don't you guys stay for the night. I was going to do some fish stew and we would love it if you guys would eat with us."

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both started speaking at the same time.

"Kagome, there's no way I'm going to let Sesshomaru..." Kagome cast an evil glance in his direction.

"Out of the question" said Sesshomaru, turning to walk off.

Rin ran up to him and tugged gently on his sleeve, "But Lord Sesshomaru, Rin is hungry and Rin would like to see Kagome." He looked down into her pleading eyes, and knew he couldn't tell her no.

"Very well Rin." He said, still walking in the opposite direction of everyone else.

Rin beamed up at Kagome, skipping over to her side as she smiled back at the small child.

* * *

Later that evening everyone was sitting around the campfire except Sesshomaru, who was several yards away, leaning against a tree. Rin and Shippo were playing tongue twisters with Jaken, while the rest of them were talking.

Kagome was telling Kagura about how they had recently fought the specter of the evil from the Shikon jewel named Matsusgui. Somehow this being had managed to seal Kagome's true spiritual powers, and she had gotten them back after Inuyasha had destroyed him.

"So we were going to look for Moryoumaru next to take out Naraku's heart, but it seems Sesshomaru beat us to the punch" said Kagome.

"Yeah, too bad Akago managed to escape, I was sure the blast from Sesshomaru's attack would have destroyed him." Kagura said, leaning her head on her fist.

"Well it doesn't matter, _we're_ going to find Naraku, and end this once and for all" Inuyasha said, hastily.

"Yes, but the spot where the Miasma is is still a few days travel from here. We should take some time to make sure we are adequately prepared." Miroku chimed in.

"I agree" said Kagome "We should find a village tomorrow and make sure we stock up on supplies before going."

Inuyasha huffed "Yeah right, I don't care about no supplies, all I care about is getting to Naraku before Sesshomaru does. Naraku is mine!"

"Inuyasha! Quit thinking only about yourself! The rest of us aren't as strong as you are, so we're going into town tomorrow, and I don't want to hear another word about it."

Inuyasha growled silently at her, but knew not to say anything. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of another one of Kagome's 'sits.'

Kagura chuckled slightly at their bickering. _'No wonder Sesshomaru doesn't like being around them. Their constant spats can get rather taxing.'_ she thought.

"Well Inuyasha, as much as you don't like to think about it, you're probably going to need Sesshomaru's help to defeat Naraku." Kagura said coyly.

"I don't need any help from the likes of him!" Inuyasha snarled at her.

Kagura smirked and got up. Even though she and Inuyasha's group had become tentative allies recently, she was still uneasy around them. She still felt like she should be on guard around them, partly because of the regret she had for things she had done in the past. She hated putting up the old walls she had gotten so used to, and not being able to feel at ease in their company. Plus, she was tired from walking all day, and wanted to find a spot to rest. As if Sesshomaru had read her mind, he leaned up from the tree and began walking over to the rest of the group.

"We are leaving." He said

Kagura looked at him and nodded in agreement.

"Come on Rin...you too toad!" she called to their two other companions.

"Hey Sesshomaru" Inuyasha shot "don't even think about going after Naraku until I am there, he's mine!"

Sesshomaru began walking off, saying over his shoulder "You do not have the right to command me, Inuyasha."

Kagura waved to all of them, and turned to leave as well. Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un following closely behind her.

Suddenly she felt a soft hand around her arm, she turned around and realized it was Kagome.

"Hey Kagura, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

Kagura turned around and saw that Sesshomaru was still walking off into the distance, although his pace had slowed. She saw him glance slightly over his shoulder in her direction, and she nodded to Kagome.

Kagura and Kagome walked off by themselves, much to Inuyasha's dislike. He still didn't completely trust Kagura and felt uneasy about Kagome going off alone with her.

"Don't try anything Kagura." snarled Inuyasha as they walked off into the forest, his eyes never leaving her.

Once they got out of earshot of the others Kagura turned to look at Kagome. "Ok, what is it?" She asked.

A slight smile crept on Kagome's face as she asked "So Kagura, how exactly did you end up traveling with Sesshomaru? I thought you and him were not on good terms."

Kagura smirked at her question, it appears Kagome was not as dense as Inuyasha.

"Well, we weren't, but things have changed..." Kagura replied, trailing off.

Kagome looked at her, waiting to see if she would finish.

"Sesshomaru...he...found Naraku before he could do away with me." Kagura slowly finished.

Kagome's eyes lit up "He saved you?"

Kagura shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to reveal too much. "Who knows." Kagome was one of the only ones she felt that her secret would be safe with, but she still did not want to let her in on all the details of their time together.

"Well, I was just wondering, you just seem...different." Kagome said slowly.

Kagura eyed her "Different? How so?"

"I don't know, you just seem happier now, and you're not so rough around the edges anymore, you've kinda softened."

Kagura chuckled briefly at what Kagome said and gazed up at the sky "You think? Maybe I have."

"Also, I noticed how Sesshomaru reacted to Miroku's lechery today. He looked out for blood."

Kagura snapped her head down from the sky and narrowed her eyes at Kagome. "I don't know what you are talking about."

She knew she needed to end the conversation, the respect she had for Sesshomaru told her he would not appreciate his emotions being brought to light, especially if they were merely speculation. Kagura turned away from Kagome and said "Well, I need to be going, or I'll get left behind. See you later Kagome." With that, she took off on her feather in the direction of Sesshomaru, still smiling about the conversation.

* * *

They had put several miles between Inuyasha and his gang much to Sesshomaru's and somewhat Kagura's relief. Jaken and Rin were gathering firewood for the camp and Kagura was lounging in the top of the tall tree next to their camp. She was allowing herself to get lost in the beauty of the cloudless night sky. When she had returned from talking to Kagome, Sesshomaru gave her a questioning look, but said nothing. She was relieved, she didn't know what to tell him if he had asked.

She had wanted to get away to just think to herself and attempt to clear her mind. She had been undergoing alot of changes recently, both emotionally and mentally, and she needed some time to sort them out. Kagome had been the first to say something, but Kagura had realized the transformation for a few days. Since she had started traveling with Sesshomaru, she had felt herself becoming a different person, due in no small part to Rin. She was starting to feel at ease, and comfortable around them, and slowly the walls she had put up to protect herself had come down. Her once abrasive and slightly cocky attitude had softened considerably, though it still made an appearance from time to time. Her soul had begun to heal itself from the abuse by Naraku and she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Much to her delight, the constant nightmares had begun to get less frequent as well, and she no longer saw Naraku everytime she closed her eyes. Instead, it was replaced with a much more pleasant image, an image of a silver haired demon lord had taken her thoughts captive.

As the days had progressed, she had not been able to get him out of her mind. She often reflected on the kiss they had shared, and everytime she did, she felt her lips tingle at the thought. She was still fighting the losing battle with herself to not fall in love with him. Her feelings had overtook her better judgment, and oftentimes her thoughts would be of life in his castle, the Lady of the West. Although this was a pleasant thought, Kagura willed for it to be just that, a thought. For even though she had admitted her feelings of affection for him, she would not let him be with her. She cared for him too much, and wanted him to be happy with a demoness that would be an equal to him, no matter how much it made her heart ache. She closed her eyes, and exhaled deeply, feeling the wind whip around her hair framing her face. She smirked at the feeling of wind in her hair, and plucked one of the feathers from her head, and took to the skies. Flying always made her feel so free.

Sesshomaru noticed Kagura flying overhead, going towards the East. He watched her moonlit form disappear into the black sky. Sesshomaru had needed some time to think too, as he was also going through changes. Although his stoic demeanor had remained intact, inside he was feeling emotions he had once promised he would never allow himself to feel. Love, desire, and frustration were just a few of them storming inside him. _'Curse that woman, I can't get her out of my head.'_ But in truth, he liked the thoughts of Kagura that had come to occupy his mind recently. He had been fighting this same battle with himself since the day he foolishly kissed her, and it had only gotten worse since he had asked her to stay with Rin after defeating Naraku. He found that his reason was losing to his emotions, and it frustrated him greatly. Since he realized this, he sought to put some distance between himself and Kagura, hoping that it would calm these cursed feelings. His plan had backfired though, because he found himself thinking of her more than ever. He knew he was lying when he said that it was Rin who wanted her to stay, but he could not force himself to let her know it was actually him that was wanting her to stay. This was one trait he had despised in his father, indeed, he had trained himself to not feel those worthless emotions. Somehow, within a few short days, Kagura had managed to destroy everything he had worked for. He was once called the perfect demon, as ruthless as he was powerful, and now look at him, he was falling in love with a woman.

He closed his eyes and the same image came to mind that had been plaguing him for the last few days. He saw Kagura's naked form sitting upon the rock in the stream. He remembered how he felt that night, how he had to fight with all his willpower not to take her there. Her gorgeous form was accented perfectly in the moonlight, highlighting all her sensual curves and amplifying them. He dug his claws into his hands until he felt them bleed, willing the image of Kagura to leave his mind. He could not keep going on like this, his desire to take her was slowly overwhelming him. He knew if he didn't do something about it soon, he would go mad. That night they shared a kiss had been a mistake, his one moment of weakness had been his undoing. Ever since that night his emotions had become stronger and stronger, and it was getting harder to suppress them. Since then, he had been allowing too much emotion to be seen by others, and he was sure it was making him look weak, no better than that stupid half brother of his. He gritted his teeth at this battle that never seemed to stop within him, he longed for the rationale and decisiveness he once had possessed. Her body captivated his waking moments, never letting him have a moment's peace.

He knew only one thing that would cure this disease, this weakness. He must have her, only to calm the demon raging inside him. He would do it out of necessity, and would not allow his emotions to control him any longer. If he could just have the object he desired, then his head would clear and he would end this war going on between his heart and his head. '_This Sesshomaru has needs like any other demon_' He rationalized to himself. He sat there, trying to supply any reason other than admitting his affection towards her_. 'It shall just be to ease my mind, nothing more, I will not allow it to go any further.'_ he compromised with himself. Pleased at his win over his emotions, he leapt up into the tallest branch around, reclining back on it, waiting for her return.

* * *

Kagura came back half an hour later and noticed Sesshomaru leaning up high in a tree. She smiled to herself and flew close to him, seeing his yellow eyes lock onto hers. She floated a few feet from him, not quite knowing what to say. She was awestruck at his beautiful form, an absolutely perfect specimen of demon.

"Where did you go?" he asked, still staring in her eyes.

"Oh, nowhere, I just find that going for a flight calms my nerves." she replied.

He sat up quickly, willing himself not to let the conversation go any further. He wanted to get this over with before he made another mistake by letting his emotions come into play. He had made up his mind of what to do, and he just wanted to be able to release all his tension finally and put an end to his suffering.

"Come with me." he said jumping off the branch, landing on the ground far below.

Kagura eyed him suspiciously, but followed.

He had been careful to pick a spot far away enough to where they would not be disturbed. He walked through the forest at a steady pace, Kagura trailing a few feet behind. She finally decided to break the silence.

"So, where are we going?" she asked, trying to hide the confusion in her voice.

"It is not much further." was all that came in reply.

She felt herself about to get angry, but calmed down quickly. She always hated how short he was, but at the same time that was one of the things that drew her to him. It was his mystique, his emotionless expression that had intrigued her since the first day she saw him. How she longed to see if there actually was something behind that façade.

She was thrown out of her thoughts as she nearly ran into the back of him after he stopped suddenly. She looked up to see where they were and gasped silently to herself as she took in the beauty. They were in a field of white lilies as far as she could see, the moonlight illuminating their color, almost making them glow.

She turned to him, trying to make out any emotion on his face. She just saw him staring straight ahead, he looked like he was deep in thought.

Sesshomaru stood there after entering the field, fortifying his resolve before making his move. _'This is only for the purposes of being able to think clearly, nothing more. Do not let your emotions interfere'_ he silently commanded himself.

Kagura could stand the anticipation no longer. She felt herself admiring all his features. His long silver hair, blowing slightly in the breeze. The two magenta stripes on his cheeks , framing his chiseled face. And his lips, she felt hers once again tingle at the thought of how they felt. She reached up and subconsciously ran her finger across her lips. He looked at her once more, and decided to make his move.

With lightning fast speed he was next to Kagura, looking into her eyes as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her lips to his. Kagura's eyes grew wide at his sudden movement, her heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest, slowly she allowed herself to return the kiss.

Suddenly he pulled himself away from her as his resolve started to be overcome by his emotions. One simple kiss had shattered his willpower, he sucked in his breath sharply. He willed his feelings to go away but was forced to stop when Kagura pulled him in for another passionate kiss. She wrapped her slender arms around his neck and opened her mouth slightly, inviting him in.

He paused momentarily, fighting once again within himself. His desire was burning inside him with an intensity he had never felt before. He was not going to be able to merely do this out of necessity. The thought momentarily enraged him, he was showing weakness, his conviction was taken over by emotion, by a need to have her. He had lost the battle he had been waging for so long when he accepted her invitation, resigning himself to her. He pulled her closer to him, every part of her body pressing up against him. He breathed in her scent and felt himself go wild. She smelled so intoxicating, like a breeze in the peak of spring. Still engaged in a passionate kiss, he wrapped his strong arms around her waist tightly. Kagura pulled him even deeper into the kiss as he moved his hands to gently run his claws over her shoulders and up her neck, snaking them through her hair. Her long locks cascaded down her back as he pulled the ribbon out of her hair. She pulled slightly away from him, breathing heavily and admiring his features in the moonlight. He looked back at her, desire filling his eyes. He felt his inner demon take over, an almost animalistic desire overtook him. He needed to know every inch of her, taste every inch of her sultry form. He would make this a night she would not soon forget.

He brought his lips hungrily to her neck, breathing in her scent, filling his lungs with her sweetness. He left a trail of burning kisses along the nape of her neck, tracing the edge of her kimono with his tongue. He heard her breath hitch in her throat as he lavished her with attention. He brought his hand up hurriedly to discard the annoying fabric that was preventing him from seeing her beautiful body. One pull at her sash released it, as he slid the fabric over her shoulders with his other hand, letting it pool at her feet. Sesshomaru broke away from his trail of kisses to marvel at the sight of her naked form. He saw Kagura's cheeks turn a slight shade of red as he let a low growl escape his lips, drinking in every inch of her. He needed her now, he could no longer stand it.

He took her once more in his arms, kissing his way down to her smooth supple mounds, swirling his skilled tongue around her sensitive bud, delighting in the soft moan she made when he took it into his mouth. Her skin tasted like honey to him, it intoxicated his senses and drove him mad. He felt her hands reaching for the ties that held his armor in place, desperately yanking at them. His armor fell to the ground loudly and he felt her warm hands slipping the haori off his broad shoulders. His skin prickled at the delicate touch of her hands, exploring his muscular form feverishly. He moved his hands to her back and ran his claws softly down her back, and stopped when he did not feel the scars she had possessed from Naraku's beatings. He touched her now flawless soft skin with his fingertips, enjoying the fact that all signs of that bastard we now gone from her. His thoughts ceased when he felt her hands move to his obi, tugging at it slightly as he felt his hakima fall from his chiseled waist. He drew his lips from her breasts as he allowed her to gaze lustfully at his form. Her half lidded eyes burned with desire as Sesshomaru wrapped himself around her, gently lowering her to the ground.

He traced his fangs along her shapely neck, and gently nipped the sensitive skin. She arched her back and let out a loud moan as a small trickle of blood flowed down her collarbone. He eagerly lapped up the essence as he brought his hands up to massage her breasts once more.

"Sessho..maru" Kagura cooed, her voice thick with desire. She started grinding her hips against him, begging for him to touch her.

He kissed a trail from her lips down to her chest and along her smooth stomach. He paused before going any lower, enjoying the movement her hips made, pleading with him to give her pleasure. He decided not to prolong her ecstasy any longer and slowly took her sensitive pearl into his mouth. She uttered a long, low moan as he expertly lavished attention to her most sensitive spot. Her legs spasmed as she let a pleasure never thought possible consume her. Her hips rolled violently while he continued to artfully lick all around her sensitive pearl. Kagura could hold it no longer as she felt wave after wave of pleasure consume her, threatening to make her mad. Her hips bucked uncontrollably and moans she had no control over echoed in the still night air. He slowly brought his mouth away from her when he felt her movements slow. Her breathing was still ragged as she tried to contain her heart from beating out of her chest, she looked at him, and a sinful smile crept on her lips.

She locked her eyes on his as she reached for his arm and laid him on the ground beside her. She rolled over and traced the outline of his pelvic bone down to where his impressive length was. Lovingly, she wrapped a dainty hand around his girth and heard him let go a labored sigh. She pushed up with her hands and positioned herself between his thighs. She ran her free hand all along his body, making his skin quiver at her touch. Her clawed fingers were dancing over every inch of him, while still keeping up pace with her other hand. She finally took his hot length into her mouth as he closed his eyes in pleasure. He could barely contain his pleasure at the feeling of her warm mouth gliding over his length. He dug his claws into the soft earth, he wanted to be inside her, to feel her consuming him.

Rising from his back he took her in his arms, laying her gently back on the ground. He raised himself above her and teased her opening with his manhood. She silently begged him to enter her, staring into his eyes with immeasurable longing. He willingly obliged, entering her gently and slowly. A look of pain overtook her face, as she let go a small yelp. Sesshomaru realized that this was the first time she had been with a man. He paused inside her tight opening and allowed her to adjust to his girth, he leaned down and gently licked the tears away from her cheeks.

"Would you like me to stop?" He asked, kindness in his voice for the first time.

Kagura shook her head fiercely, this is what she had been craving since she met the demon lord and she would gladly go through a small amount of pain for it.

After she became comfortable, he started to move back and forth slowly, her body writhing in pleasure below him. She bucked her hips against his and wrapped her arms around his back, urging him to fill her completely. He plunged his hard length inside her, letting every inch be consumed by her hot wet cavern, feeling her tightness on him like a second skin. She wrapped her shapely legs around his back, coaxing him deeper inside. He then quickened his pace, slamming his hips furiously into hers and feeling her entire body shudder with pleasure. She scraped her nails down his back, drawing blood from his perfect form. Sesshomaru let a deep growl emanate from his chest. Kagura smiled at his reaction and brought her fingers to her lips, sensuously licking the blood dripping from her claws. This sight made Sesshomaru go wild as he started thrusting into her with a ferocity he didn't think possible. He grabbed her long legs and pulled himself even deeper into her, making her go wild with pleasure. Her labored breaths became quickened and he could feel her tense around him. He knew her release was close as he slammed into her faster. He saw her hands shoot up and wrap around his head, grabbing handfuls of his long silver hair. He felt her legs tremble as she tightened on him once again, and let a loud moan escape her lips. "Sesshomaru!" His name rolled off her tongue as she reached the peak of her pleasure, he felt her contract around him as ecstasy gripped her entire body. Her body convulsed and bucked against his, and he felt his own pleasure reach its peak. His eyes went red as he felt himself release inside her, a feral growl escaping his lips as he filled her with his seed. Both panting and out of breath, Kagura pulled him onto her, and pressed her lips softly to his as her body slowed its tremors, desperate to catch her breath once more. She ran her hand over his chiseled jaw and rested it on his cheek. Looking up at him lazily, she stared into his eyes, watching them slowly return to their brilliant topaz. He rolled away from her and onto his back, resting one hand across his chest and leaving his other tangled in her long locks. Kagura had never felt something so amazing, as this was the first time she had ever known a man. It felt like her whole body was still tingling and her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. Sesshomaru withdrew his hand from her hair and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her to him. She turned on her side and snuggled her cheek to his chest. She awed at how his heart had slowed so rapidly, and his breathing had returned to normal, now a picture of composure, while she on the other hand, was still trying to control her labored breaths . She looked up at him and he was gazing at the brilliant night sky. The look he had in his eyes now was familiar, he was no doubt deep in thought and at this Kagura finally came to her senses.

She broke free from his embrace and went over to where her Kimono lie, she could feel her anger coming up inside her and she felt her cheeks turn red with embarrassment. _'I can't believe I let myself become so weak and give into him that easily'_ she thought, furious with herself as she struggled to tie the obi on her kimono. _'Why the hell did I do that, this is only going to end up bad. I need to get away.'_

"Damnit!" she muttered silently, her shaking hands unable to form the bow of her obi.

Sesshomaru had been watching her since she had gotten up, trying to figure out what had upset her so bad. Her clumsy actions while fumbling with her clothes puzzled him.

"Kagura" he finally spoke, "What is the matter?"

She looked at him with a mixture of anger and sadness in her eyes. Sesshomaru could only figure out one reason for her being this troubled. He got up and started to dress himself as well, letting a barely audible sigh go. He had really wanted to lay with her for longer, but he didn't see this happening now.

"I can't get this damn thing tied!" she said, hoping he would believe her, but she knew he would not fall for such a pitiful excuse.

Sesshomaru saw this as the best time to address what he thought was concerning her.

"Kagura, if you are fearful of getting pregnant, do not worry, you were not fertile now."

Kagura could hold her tongue no longer, and she let a torrent of anger flow from her lips.

"That's not it! I'm mad at letting myself be so weak! This was a mistake! You deserve so much better than me, but I couldn't help myself!"

She gritted her teeth and continued, still trying to tie her sash, unable to bear looking at him.

"I'm not someone that is worthy of you, I'm just a nobody! And I'm just so afraid of you waking up in the morning and regretting this whole thing!" She felt tears of anger and sadness well up in her eyes, as she tried with all her being to not let them fall. "Why? Why did you do this? Am I just a playtoy to you? I know someone like you could never have the feelings for me that I have for you! No matter how bad I want it to be true." The tears that threatened to fall stung her eyes but she would not let him see her cry, not again. She drew up the courage to look at him and met his piercing amber eyes, his face once again masked by his cold demeanor.

"Why? Why did I let this happen?" She said softly scolding herself.

He remained silent, although on the inside, he knew what he wanted to say to her. He wanted to rush over and comfort her, but the last remaining ounce of his willpower prevented him from doing so. He was puzzled at this sudden outburst. Had he not just shown her he had feelings for her?

"I guess I have my answer" she said, wiping the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her kimono. She then drew her hand up to pluck one of the feathers out of her hair, but felt Sesshomaru's hand stop her.

She looked at his eyes, and she could see something in them, but she could not make out what. He then slowly began to speak.

"Kagura, you are wrong, this Sesshomaru does have feelings for you." The demon lord realized he could fight his emotions no longer, his heart now outweighed his head in regards to her. If she was what he truly desired, he must make it known to her.

She looked at him, her eyes quivering in disbelief. "Well, you should just forget them, it will cause nothing but trouble."

He relaxed his grip on her hand, as she let it slowly fall back to her side, never taking her eyes away from his. He slowly let his gaze drift into the night sky, not wanting her to see this weakness coming over him.

"If I have deemed you worthy of my affection, then it will be so. I do not want some aristocratic demon lord's daughter, or a rich noble demoness. What I want is you."

She slumped to the ground, still not believing what she was hearing. "But why? Why me? What could you possibly see in me?"

Sesshomaru thought of what to say, he had never been in a position like this before and he felt slightly annoyed that she required so much explanation, but he would try for her sake. Slowly he reached his hand down to pull her up from the ground, his gaze locking with hers.

"Because you are beautiful to me." He said simply

She cast her eyes at the ground, but Sesshomaru lifted her chin gently with his fingers to stare into her eyes once more.

"Did you notice, Kagura? The scars from Naraku have disappeared, both inside and outside. It no longer means you belong to him...you have your freedom"

Her eyes grew wide when he said this, and she pulled her kimono down to examine where the scars had once been. All of them were gone, even the spider burn mark she had all her life was no longer there, all that remained was smooth pale skin.

"Your right," she said, still gazing at her back. "You saved me from him…" She trailed off, not sure what else to say. His aura moved closer to her as crimson met amber in a gaze that seemed to last for eternity. In that stare, things were said that words could never convey, their souls we communicating with each other through their eyes, saying what each needed to hear without speaking.

Still locked intensely on her eyes, he brought his arms to her waist as she placed hers on his shoulders, letting their bodies meld into one as their lips met in a soft kiss.

* * *

**Wow! Sesshy actually _admitted_ he had feelings for Kagura? I know it is out of character for him to be open about his feelings, but I honestly tried my best to keep him as close to character while admitting his feeling so I could move the story along. The way I look at it is he is capable of feeling emotions, he just doesn't let himself feel them. Well, hope you guys enjoyed! Next chapter will be up soon, probably shorter than it took to get this one up. The next one is action packed, with some twists and turns :-)**


	8. Time for Revenge

**Ok everyone, here is the next chapter finally! I do apologize for it taking this long for me to update. Things have been really chaotic this week trying to get ready to go out of town for Thanksgiving and work. Also, I am not as pleased with this chapter as I am with my other ones, I just feel like it is missing something. I promise it won't take this long to update again. Anywho, hope you enjoy it...and you know it's coming...review! LOL**

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did, I would be rich now.**

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* * *

**The next morning Kagura woke up to the smell of flowers all around her. She slowly blinked her eyes open and looked up at the cloudless blue sky. A smile slowly crept onto her face as she recalled the memories of last night, they still felt like a dream to her. But she slowly realized, as she felt Sesshomaru's presence beside her, that it was not a dream. Her smile widened to a Cheshire grin, as an immense feeling of pure happiness filled her. When she was with Naraku, she had never known what it was like to be happy. She was always bitter, depressed and angry. Now that she was with Sesshomaru, she hoped she would never lose that feeling.

She sat up slowly, arched her back and stretched out her sore muscles. Last night had been a marathon of love making, and her body was now paying the price, although she had no complaints. She looked over at Sesshomaru, who was sitting up, with one leg up while the other was stretched out before him. He looked at her, and although his expression remained as cold as ever, she could see the look in his eyes was one of affection. Even though his feelings for her were expressed the previous night, his personality was still engrained too deep to let go of. Kagura didn't care though, she knew in her heart she was his. Plus, his steely demeanor was one of the things she found irrestiable in him from the start.

"So you have awoken. I hope you are not in too much pain from last night." His expression unchanging.

She smiled at him and blushed slightly, "Yes, I'm fine. A little sore but that is to be expected." She reached out her hand to take his, but he pulled slightly away.

Her heart sank at this, as thoughts of last night came running into her mind._ 'What is with the sudden change today? Was all that a lie last night?'_

She frowned, and Sesshomaru looked in her eyes and he started to speak. "Kagura, do not misinterpret my actions. I still feel the same for you today as I did last night. But you must understand, with my title I cannot show affection to you anytime I want, and you cannot show me affection either."

Kagura almost felt anger well up inside her, but she calmed it as he continued. "If a rogue demon were to see us in an embrace or showing affection, he would use this against me, and possibly kidnap you to take over my lands. Once we are mated when I destroy Naraku, things will be different, but for now, this is how it must be."

Kagura took a moment to let his words sink in. She understood what he was saying, but it still hurt.

Sesshomaru flashed her the tiniest of smiles and said "But do not worry Kagura, at night I will make up for the lack of attention during the day."

Upon him saying this, her disappointment disappeared. She knew that his feelings were still strong for her, and even if it meant not showing her affection for him, she was willing to do anything for her love. She then thought on what he said about defeating Naraku, about her becoming his mate. Her heart started beating faster as she realized what this meant. Demons mated for life, and he wanted her to become his forever.

"Sesshomaru" she started, still staring into his softened eyes "Are you sure? Are you sure you want me as your mate? You know that is forever..." she trailed off.

"Kagura, do you have doubts on becoming my mate?" he asked her softly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

She gasped, and shook her head "No, not at all. I know I can spend the rest of my life with you. I just don't want you to regret it later."

He continued staring into her crimson eyes as he saw the slightest hint of pain "I already told you Kagura, there are no regrets from this Sesshomaru."

She smiled at him, a feeling of ease washing over her entire body.

"We must get back to Rin and Jaken and continue the search for Naraku," He said, getting up from the ground. He turned to her and extended his hand. She took his strong hand gently as he pulled her up from the ground and into his arms. He gave her a small kiss on her lips and said "Until tonight my mate."

* * *

They walked the short distance through the woods in silence. Sesshomaru was walking in front of Kagura like he always did, it was as if he was protecting her. They made it back to camp and were greeted by Jaken's screeching call.

"Oh milord! You have returned! I was wondering when you would ever…" his voice stopped, as a look of confusion came over his face. He saw Kagura emerge from the brush behind Sesshomaru and looked at her, and back at Sesshomaru for quite a few seconds. All the while, Kagura could see his tiny nostrils flaring, as he was trying to put his finger on what it was he was sensing. His eyes finally grew wide as the toad figured out what he was sensing.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Do not tell me you have mated with this…this…" Before Jaken's insult could leave his mouth, a swift two whacks on the head from Sesshomaru's fist silenced him.

"Jaken, you will not speak ill of her again, or those words will be your last." Sesshomaru warned the imp.

Jaken's eyes had fear written all over them as he dropped to the ground, graveling for mercy. "Oh please, forgive me milord! I did not mean to upset you!"

Sesshomaru paid no mind to his begging, as he stepped on top of him on his way to Ah-Un. He looked around calmly, and finally said "Jaken, where is Rin?"

Jaken snapped up from his small crater in the ground, and quickly replied "She has gone to find something to eat milord. She should be back any minute now."

As the imp squawked out his response, Rin appeared from the dense forest, carrying something very gently in the folds of her kimono. When she saw Kagura and Sesshomaru her eyes lit up so much that they were visible from yards away.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lady Kagura! You have returned! Rin missed you both, Rin is so happy you are back!"

Sesshomaru noticed her calling Kagura by the formal title once more, except this time, it did not bother him. In fact, it almost dared a smile to make an appearance on his cold façade. He suppressed the emotion as he had so many times before and turned back to Ah-Un. He took the massive dragon's reigns and tightened them slightly.

Kagura could not help but be curious as to what Rin was treating so gently. She walked over to Rin and looked down at her.

"What do you have in your kimono Rin?" Kagura asked curiously.

Rin's smile beamed up at her as she showed Kagura the treasure she had been so careful with. "Oranges, Lady Kagura! Rin has not had oranges since she lived in the village, and this is the first time Rin has seen them since the village!" Kagura could see the excitement growing on her face as she carefully sat down on the ground, letting the oranges gently tumble from her kimono. Kagura sat down on her knees beside the child, and looked at the beautiful color of the fruit, it reminded her of the color at sunset.

Rin excitedly grabbed two oranges and handed one to Kagura. "Have you ever had an orange, Lady Kagura?" Rin asked, hastily removing the peel from the fruit.

"Once," Kagura answered as she looked at the fruit. For such a simple object, it brought back so many memories. When she was still forced to obey Naraku, she had came across a beautiful orange grove on her way from the castle. She had stopped to revel in the intoxicating smell of the area, and it's simple beauty. She remembered how it felt somewhat comforting to be in a place of such beauty and peace, far away from Naraku's dismal castle.

Rin saw the look of quiet contemplation on the wind user's face. "What's wrong, Lady Kagura? Do you not like them?"

Kagura shook her head, "No, that's not it." She said, chasing the thought from her head and smiling at the child. She would not allow herself to think of him anymore. "I like oranges" she continued, peeling the rind from the fruit and sinking her fangs into it's juicy flesh.

Rin continued smiling at her, "So Lady Kagura, where did you and Lord Sesshomaru go last night?"

Kagura nearly choked on the bite of fruit that was in her mouth, shocked at the child's innocent question. It had caught her off guard, and she tried the best she could to hide her reaction. She looked at Rin, wiping the juice from her face "Well Rin, we…" Before she was forced to have this awkward conversation with her, Sesshomaru's voice echoed to them.

"Rin, finish quickly. We are leaving."

"Yes my lord!" Rin answered sweetly, gobbling down the last remainder of her orange. Kagura breathed a silent sigh of relief at the intervention. Her gaze drifted to Sesshomaru with a look of gratitude for saving her, and his amber eyes sparkled with acknowledgement. She arose from her knees and extended a hand to the small child. Rin grabbed her hand and Kagura pulled her up.

"Let's go Rin. We wouldn't want to be left behind." Kagura said, smiling warmly at her.

Rin nodded her head in agreement, as she gathered a few of the oranges to take with them on their journey.

* * *

They had been walking for quite a while, and Kagura was growing bored with the tense silence. She could feel the anticipation in the air as they grew ever nearer to Naraku. Sesshomaru had no doubt been readying himself mentally for the upcoming battle, his steely façade as cold as ever. Kagura walked slightly behind him, just far enough to his side to steal glances at his beautiful face every now and then. How she longed to reach for his hand, but calmed her desires. She knew she must wait, however bad it tortured her. As if he could tell what she was thinking, Sesshomaru altered his path slightly to walk closer to her. Their bodies were almost touching, and this small amount of affection was enough to make her heart race. She looked back at Rin and the others. Jaken was walking beside Ah-Un, his eyes barely open, oblivious to anything else besides where his feet were to step next. Rin lay atop of Ah-Un, on her stomach, kicking her feet slowly in the air. Kagura smiled at the thought of her little family. However strange it was, it was hers and she never wanted to be without it. Except for Jaken, he still wore on her nerves, but she was slowly learning how to ignore him.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by the feeling of Sesshomaru's outstretched arm stopping her in her tracks. She turned her head in his direction, and noticed him closing his eyes, straining his senses.

"Something approaches" he finally spoke.

"What is it?" Kagura asked, her stomach churning slightly.

Sesshomaru narrowly opened his eyes in disgust "Naraku."

Kagura's heart skipped a beat as she desperately tried to feel his aura. Whatever Sesshomaru was feeling was far off, and she could barely sense it, however his keen nose was able to detect it. She stood there for a moment, trying to feel out what this aura was. It definitely felt like Naraku, but there was something different about it. She noticed Sesshomaru's eyes telling her he was trying to figure it out too.

"Kagura, take the others and go. It is not safe here." Sesshomaru demanded

She looked at him, slightly shaking her head. "But I want to stay with you." She replied softly.

"You will only get in my way. Naraku will surely come after you if he discovers you here with me."

Kagura knew he was right, but she still felt uneasy about leaving him. She had been beside him during every other fight, and it unsettled her to leave him alone to fight Naraku.

Sesshomaru grew more tense as the moments passed. He turned to her and said "Kagura, I do not want harm to come to you. Leave." She noticed his tone soften very slightly, and the look in his eyes was one of concern.

She clenched her fist and choked out "Ok, I'm going."

Sesshomaru discretely touched her chin with his claws as he turned to walk towards the aura. Kagura watched him for a moment more before turning to Rin and Jaken.

"Let's go" she said sternly, pulling a feather from her hair and taking to the skies.

Once the others were gone Sesshomaru began to relax slightly. With them out of the way he could fight how he wanted, and not have to worry about something happening to them. His icy gaze was set straight in front of him, waiting for a figure to appear. He walked a few yards further before seeing the outline of a familiar figure. Naraku stood in front of him, that same smug grin on his face.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I have been expecting you." He said in a degrading tone.

"Naraku, this is the end for you." Sesshomaru said, pulling the Bakusaiga from it's sheath. He gathered demonic energy to the sword and leapt forward toward Naraku.

He swung the Bakusaiga through the air and made contact with Naraku's barrier. Sparks of electricity shot out as the two immense forces met. He leapt back and readied the Bakusaiga for a more powerful attack. Running towards Naraku with lightning speed he swept his sword in front of him, unleashing a massive amount of energy. Naraku's barrier absorbed the attack as it was shot back at Sesshomaru. He easily dodged it and landed further away from Naraku, glaring at the half demon scum.

"It seems you have a new sword, but even it's power is not enough to break through my barrier." Naraku said, his lips contorting in a twisted smile.

Sesshomaru remained silent as he came at Naraku with another massive blow. Naraku shot the blast back at him, then launched his tentacles from behind the barrier. Sesshomaru avoided the attack again and cut through the mass of tentacles in one swoop. He watched as the cut did not start dissolving the flesh, although Naraku could not regenerate the amputated body part.

"Hm, interesting. However, it is of no concern. My body is made of thousands of demons, you are merely cutting off pieces I don't need." Naraku glared at him from behind his barrier, and shot another attack towards Sesshomaru.

* * *

Kagura flew through the air beside Jaken and Rin riding on Ah-Un, trying to shake this troubling feeling she had. It was as if there was a knot in her stomach. She felt like there was something wrong with Sesshomaru, like he was in trouble. She gritted her teeth in frustration as she thought back on his words. _'He's right, I would only get in the way, but what is this terrible feeling?'_ She felt like she needed to go back to Sesshomaru, but she knew it would only anger him. The feeling tore away at her mind and it felt like she was about to go crazy arguing with herself. Her heart was pounding out of her chest, and she felt dizzy.

Rin noticed Kagura's distress. "What is it Lady Kagura?"

Kagura said nothing, but turned to look back in the direction that Sesshomaru was. She hesitated for a moment before making her decision.

"Jaken, take care of Rin." Kagura demanded.

Jaken's courage was restored now that his master was not within earshot. "How dare you presume to order me around! You will only get in milord's way if you go back you stupid woman!"

Kagura glared at him, her eyes flashing like fire. "Do what I say, I am none of your concern. Just get Rin somewhere safe!" Kagura yelled as she took off in the direction of Sesshomaru.

'_What is this feeling? It's as if I know something is wrong. I have to get to him'_ She thought, as she willed herself to go faster.

* * *

The clanging of Bakusaiga striking Naraku's barrier was deafening. Sesshomaru was unleashing a relentless barrage on Naraku, searching for a weakness. He knew if he could only get him outside of that barrier, then he could easily destroy him. There was also the troubling feeling he still had. Sesshomaru knew something was different about Naraku, but he could not place it. Naraku shot out a massive amount of tentacles at Sesshomaru as a mighty swing from his sword destroyed them. Sesshomaru suddenly felt something: Kagura. Her aura was coming from above, anger and concern flooded his body as he looked up at the sky. He saw Kagura sitting there on her feather, staring down at him. He continued to stare up at her, momentarily taking his attention off of Naraku. Seizing the chance he was given, Naraku sent an attack flying at Sesshomaru's back. As it was about to strike, Sesshomaru felt the attack coming and dodged it, only managing to wound his shoulder slightly. _'Damnit, this is why I told her to stay away.'_ He destroyed Naraku's tentacles and looked back up to Kagura.

"Kagura! You must…" Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Kagura's body replaced with that of a man dressed in blue. He heard his laughter descend upon him. Sesshomaru leapt up into the air, stopping within inches of the man. He raised Bakusaiga over his head and cut the man into two pieces. All around him he could still hear his unsettling laughter, echoing in the tense air. He looked over to the side of him, and saw the same man. He swung Bakusaiga again and it collided with a barrier around the man.

"So you're Lord Sesshomaru, Kagura's new lover? Well, I must say she has good taste." He said, curling his lips into a smirk.

"Identify yourself." Sesshomaru demanded calmly.

"Who me? My name is Byakuya of the dreams. But I'm afraid we're going to have to cut our little meeting short. I have done my part. But don't worry Sesshomaru, we shall meet again." And with that he disappeared into the sky.

Sesshomaru turned to see a massive amount of energy Naraku had been storing from all Sesshomaru's attacks heading straight for him.

Sesshomaru smirked, "Naraku, surely you do not think me so weak as to be destroyed by this pitiful attack." Sesshomaru turned his sword sideways and poured a massive amount of energy into the sword. Naraku's attack met with Sesshomaru's sword, and in a massive explosion was dissolved by Sesshomaru's Bakusaiga.

He looked down at Naraku and started to descend back down to the ground. He saw another image of Kagura standing near Naraku, and for a moment he thought it was another of Naraku's tricks. As his feet touched the ground, he saw the look of terror in her eyes. He then realized this was not another illusion.

"Kagura?" A slight hint of surprise was in his voice. His eyes narrowed at her suddenly, "I told you to leave. You will only get hurt here, go now."

"Sesshomaru, I'm sorry." She said, clutching her chest, willing her heart to stop beating so fast. "Something made me come back to you, I couldn't ignore it."

Upon hearing her speak Naraku let a sadistic laugh ring out. "Kekeke, Kagura…what do you possibly think you can accomplish coming here? You don't have a chance to beat me, and now I will be able to kill you both."

Kagura's eyes widened, but not from what he said. She had finally figured out the strange aura around Naraku. When she was face to face with him, she recognized that he was using his demon puppetry skills again.

"Sesshomaru, it's a demon puppet! All you have to do is slice through it and it will disappear!"

Naraku narrowed his eyes at Kagura. "You stupid woman, do you honestly think that my barrier can be destroyed by his sword? I can't believe I ever thought you worthy of creating, you disgust me." Naraku let the detest show through in his voice as he spoke.

Kagura felt an unfamiliar feeling wash over her. She could hear the blood flowing and pumping through her veins with every heartbeat. Her eyes burned like a raging inferno, and she could feel a power coming from deep inside her.

"Naraku" she said, her voice almost that of a growl. "You bastard, this will be the end of you."

She raised her fan above her head and waved it in front of her.

Dance of the Dragon!

Naraku smirked at her foolishness, that attack would never work on him. His smirk quickly turned to disbelief as he saw the massive amount of demonic aura being poured into her attack. _'This aura, it almost feels like…'_ he gasped as he said the last part out loud "Sesshomaru's"

She hurtled the massive dragon shaped tornados at Naraku, the ferocity of the attack forming deep gouges in the earth. It clashed with his barrier, and much to his surprise, the barrier started to dissipate. His eyes widened as she sent another massive attack at him, dissolving what was left of his barrier, leaving him fully exposed. He looked at her, anger seething in his eyes. His attention was diverted as he saw Sesshomaru leap into the air in front of him, and with his own massive attack, cut him in two. Sesshomaru landed gracefully on his feet behind him, as the demon puppet doll fell to the ground where Naraku once was.

He then heard Naraku's voice echoing from all around them. "Do not be content with this false victory, I assure you, now that I have seen your new sword in action Sesshomaru, the next battle will not go in your favor. As for you Kagura, I will crush the life from you before you are able to use that attack on me again." His sadistic laugh slowly faded from the area, as Sesshomaru slid the Bakusaiga back into it's sheath. It had all been a trick, a way for Naraku to test his new strength. A feeling of anger washed over him as he grit his teeth, that bastard always had a way of getting what he wanted.

His attention was diverted from the wretched half demon back to Kagura. The attack she had used on Naraku was one of immense power. His eyes went to the huge scars in the earth that she had inflicted with her attack. He looked back to where Kagura stood. He could see her swaying on her feet and she fell forward. With lightning speed, Sesshomaru caught her in his strong arms before she could hit the ground. She opened her eyes with surprise, and spoke "Sesshomaru, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you." The fire faded from her eyes as they slowly closed. Sesshomaru picked her up and took to the sky, heading back to the others.

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**Ok, that is it for this chapter everyone! Sorry it is a bit shorter than the rest, but I found this to be more of a transition chapter to the rest of the story, and was thus running out of ideas for it. Thank you all of you that have stayed with me and continued to review, it is very much appreciated! Oh, and I am leaving out the next chapter preview because I want it to be a surprise! :-D**


	9. About last night

**Ok everyone, here is the next chapter in my story. Once again I apologize for the length in between chapters, but Thanksgiving turned out to be more hectic than I had planned. Now things are back to normal so I should be able to update twice weekly again. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did, I would be rich.**

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**Sesshomaru landed a few miles away, just far enough away from Rin and Jaken so they would not detect him. He quickly scanned the area for any demonic auras, and when he was satisfied there were none, laid Kagura against the base of a tree. Sitting down on the ground beside her he gently leaned her over to him. Her head rested on his shoulder as he leaned his head back against the tree. He would wait for her to awake, for he was sure she would have questions.

He sat there with her for another hour until she finally started to stir. He tilted his head up from the tree to look at her. Her eyes opened slowly at first, then she shot them open widely, like she was frightened. She looked around trying to figure out where she was, but stopped when she saw his face beside hers.

"Sesshomaru? What happened?" She said, confusion still ringing in her voice.

"Do you not remember?" He asked, his emotions hid under his silky voice.

She shook her head slightly and tried to remember. "No, all I remember was Naraku talking, and I felt something come over me. I can't think of anything after that." She sat up quickly and turned to Sesshomaru. "Naraku? What happened to Naraku?"

"He is gone." Sesshomaru replied.

Kagura sat back against the tree once more, contorting her face as she desperately tried to remember the sequence of the fight. "What happened Sesshomaru? What happened to me?"

Crimson eyes slowly turned to catch the gaze of piercing amber.

Sesshomaru knew what had happened, he was just trying to think of a way to tell her. Staring into her eyes, his lips started to move, unsure of how to proceed. "Kagura, you have gotten stronger." He said at last.

Kagura looked at him, confused.

He continued calmly "Do you remember when we were together?"

"Yeah…" she said slowly.

"That night we exchanged each other's blood. Doing that has allowed you to become nearly my equal in power."

Kagura sat there, her jaw dangerously close to hitting the ground, trying to make sense of what he was saying. "What do you mean?"

"When my blood entered your body, it corrupted your aura, making it similar to mine." He said, his eyes staring deep into hers, searching for any sign of understanding, but he found none. "If a demon ingests the blood of another, they often take on the characteristics and strength of that demon. Basically, your blood changed and so did your strength."

"So, when that happened, did I steal some of your power?" She asked, still confused.

"No, the power of the small amount of my blood was enough to change you, but not enough to affect me. I knew there was a chance of this happening, in fact I planned on it."

She looked at him, momentarily feeling anger seethe inside her. "Well then why didn't you say anything?" She calmed herself, as she was surprised at the tone of her response.

Sesshomaru shifted his gaze from her to the sky. "I planned to, tonight. This has not happened very often." He paused before continuing, pondering on his next words. "It usually results in the mate's death." After the words left his mouth, he turned from her gaze and looked towards the sky. He knew what her reaction would be to this, but he would not lie to her.

She looked at him, her eyes starting to glow with anger and hurt. "So you let me do it, knowing there was a good chance I would have died?" She willed her exhausted body up from the tree and started to walk away.

"Because I knew you were strong enough to endure the change. I did it to give you the strength to take your revenge on Naraku" He said, stopping her in her tracks.

She let out a sigh, releasing her anger with it. A small smile crept over her face at the thought of being able to destroy Naraku. Previously she would not have been much use in a battle against him, but now she would have the strength to fight him as an equal, thanks to her love for Sesshomaru. She turned back to him, with the smile still on her face.

Words were not spoken between them, there was no need. They both knew the meaning of the gift she had received. Her redemption, her long awaited retribution on the one who had caused her so much pain would finally be realized. She would be able to play a vital role in stopping Naraku.

She walked back over to him finally and sat down. "So is that why I blacked out? I couldn't handle the power?"

"Yes, your body is still not used to exerting that much power, it will take time to become accustomed to it."

"But that still doesn't explain why I was able to destroy Naraku's barrier and you couldn't. You're still stronger than me by far."

Sesshomaru thought about her question, and finally answered. "I believe you were able to do it because you are a part of Naraku, you just lacked the power to do so before."

She shifted her eyes to the ground "Yeah, I guess that makes sense," she said quietly. She hated that she would always be a part of him, even after he was dead.

Sesshomaru sensed her despair and stood up in front of her. Gently he pulled her chin up with his thumb. Looking into her beautiful crimson eyes he said "You do not belong to him anymore."

She smiled sweetly at him "I know, I am only yours now."

* * *

It was afternoon when Sesshomaru and Kagura finally returned to Jaken and Rin. They were both relieved to see they had made it back ok. Rin ran up to Kagura and gave her a big hug. She smiled warmly at Rin, looking down at her embracing her waist.

"Lady Kagura, is Naraku gone?" Rin asked sweetly, the hint of fear hanging in her eyes still.

"Yes Rin, he is gone for now."

The child smiled at the demoness, and Kagura returned the smile. This girl could always draw one out of her, as if it was second nature to make everyone smile.

"You should rest." Sesshomaru said from beside Ah-Un.

She turned to him, her eyes glinting in the sunlight, a hint of mischief in them. "No, I want to train." Sesshomaru just looked at her. He would not argue with her, there was not point. She was still the fiery demoness he had come to care about, and he knew she would not be persuaded otherwise. She gave him a half smile where no one could see, careful to hide her affection. She started to walk off slowly into the woods. Rin trailed behind her, tugging on her kimono, demanding Kagura's attention.

"Lady Kagura, can Rin come with you?" She asked hopefully.

"Rin, not right now, it could get dangerous." She replied, hating the look of disappointment that flooded her eyes. "But when I come back in a little bit, we can go swimming." The response pleased the girl as her usual smile was back on her face and she responded joyfully "Okay!"

She gave a half look to Sesshomaru as she disappeared through the trees.

* * *

Kagura walked for nearly a mile before she found a suitable spot. It was a small clearing in the woods, just big enough to practice in.

She started to slow her breathing, trying to tap into the power she had wielded before. Before her powers had come to her naturally, without effort. She was the wind sorceress and she could call on it's powers as effortlessly as breathing, but no longer. Now she had to monitor herself, she had to listen to her aura, learn the feeling of this new power and how to control it. Secretly she wished Sesshomaru was here to help her, but she knew this was something she must master on her own. Clearing her mind she let her aura rise, trying to control the massive power she felt swelling inside her. Her hands started to shake slightly, and she could feel her heart starting to beat harder. Her aura was consuming her, she felt it in every vein, every time her heart beat, threatening to overwhelm her. She willed herself to calm down, focusing on her breathing. She steadied her hands and slowly allowed the power to surge over her. Every cell of her body tingled like there was electricity running through them. Slowly opening her fan, she held it out and let it dangle in the air while she continued concentrating.

Sesshomaru sat silently a few yards away, watching Kagura struggle to control her new found power. He felt like he wanted to help her, but knew she must master it on her own. If he helped her, she would not be able to learn to control it as well, and she would never be able to use it to the full potential. He felt a wave on contentment wash over his body. He had indeed chosen a worthy mate in Kagura. She had changed from the fearful, broken demon she had been when he saved her, into a respectable demoness. Although she still had her similar attitude, she had matured greatly in the time she had been traveling with him. She acted more like a mature woman, someone who knew what it was like to live, instead of being ordered around all the time. Her angry nature had disappeared and was replaced with an understated elegance. He let a smile grace his lips, sure no one could see him. For the first time in his life, he was happy. He was happy with _her_. All of his life, he had puzzled over his father's departing words, but he finally understood them. His father was not the foolish demon he had once believed. He now had more meaning to his life, besides that of supreme conquest. By no means did he have any plans on giving that goal up, but now he had a powerful mate by his side to help him attain it. Suddenly the irony of his present situation came rushing to him. Never would he of imagined he would be here now, planning on taking a mate he actually wanted rather than one who would merely help him further his kingdom or increase his power. Kagura could now do all those things and more, she would become the Lady of the West, and together they would be the most powerful demons in the land. He tilted his head slightly as he saw her slowly raise her fan in the air.

Kagura felt her power being funneled like she desired now. She could feel her demonic aura dancing like leaves in the wind all around her. She slowly opened her fan from where she held it in front of her and swept it quickly in a circle.

Dance of the Dragon!

An immense blast of energy shot forth, ripping through the trees in front of her. She gasped as all that had stood there was now obliterated in the wake of the blast. A massive gouge in the earth was before her that stretched over a hundred yards. She smiled to herself, quite pleased at the power she had harnessed. She felt her aura still swirling around her, seemingly no limit to it. She twirled on her heels, directing her body to the left. Slicing her fan quickly through the air, she summoned more power into her attack.

Dance of Blades!

To her surprise blades of wind, too numerous to count, shot out from her fan, demolishing everything in their path. She could hear trees crack and fall on the ground, their massive weight causing the ground to shake. All around her was evidence of the powerful aura she now commanded, nothing would stand in her way anymore, not even Naraku. Her smile grew even wider as she marveled at her new power. A twisted smirk came across her face. _'I need to find something to test this out on,'_ she thought. With that she pulled a feather from her head and descended into the sky, the sun setting behind her.

Sesshomaru watched her leave, pleased she was able to control her power so quickly. He expected no less from the feisty demoness. He jumped down from the tree and returned to camp, confident she could handle whatever she came across.

* * *

Kagura flew for a few minutes, challenging herself to find a strong demon aura. "If I'm going to test this out, I need to find someone who can give me a challenge." She said aloud to herself.

She flew for nearly ten more minutes until she found an aura that seemed strong enough emanating from the ground below her. _'Bingo'_ she smirked as she descended from the sky.

She elegantly landed back on solid ground, tucking her feather into her hair once more. Looking up she found herself staring at a massive ogre, towering over her petite frame. They annoyed ogre turned to her with a sneer. "What do you want?" He asked, his massive voice booming at her.

She opened her fan and held it in front of her mouth playfully. "Only to have a little fun, that is if you think you're strong enough to take me."

The ogre roared loud enough to shake the trees in the area. Smirking, Kagura jumped up into the air, allowing her newfound aura to swirl around her. She traced a circle in the air with her fan as she unleashed her attack, red eyes glinting in the fading sunlight.

Dance of the Dragon!

The massive tornado swirled at the ogre. Clearly underestimating the power of her attack he put his hands up to swipe the attack away, as if swatting a fly. As the tornado converged on his body, his eyes bulged out of his sockets at the ferocity of the attack. The twister slammed into him violently, shredding the ogre into pieces. He fell to the ground with a snarl, blood pouring from the numerous open wounds on his body before falling over with a massive thud onto the ground.

"Damn, that wasn't as hard as I thought."

She turned as she heard the sound of clapping coming from beside her. Turning to see who it was she felt her heart slam into the pit of her stomach.

"Naraku!" She screamed, raising her fan once more. _'How could I not sense him?'_ She quickly remembered that it was because of the jewel the infant Akago possessed that masked his demonic aura. '_So that means that Naraku had absorbed Akago into his body!' _The thought invigorated her, in his arrogance of confronting her he had also been foolish, affording her an opening. If she could destroy him now, she could end this nightmare once and for all.

She went to slash her fan though the air but Naraku turned his hand into a gnarled appendage as it shot out from behind his barrier before she could finish her attack. Seeing the attack heading for her, Kagura attempted to move out of the way, but her new power prevented her from doing so, she had not mastered how to evade as quickly as she would have liked. Seconds later, the attack hit, ripping through her stomach, impaling her on the disgusting appendage. A blood curdling shriek escaped her lips as she tried to desperately pull the tentacle out of her.

"Kekeke. Kagura I am not going to kill you yet, that is why I didn't pump your pitiful body full of miasma. No, I am going to take you back to my castle and make your beloved Sesshomaru come to get you. He will walk right into my trap, and you will watch as I kill him before your eyes."

Choking slightly on the overwhelming taste of blood in her mouth, Kagura turned blazing crimson eyes to Naraku. "You will never have the power to defeat him or me! You're pathetic Naraku!"

Kagura summoned her new strength and raised her fan, readying her attack. Naraku shot his other arm out from his barrier and ripped the fan from her hand. Kagura grit her teeth as she watched it fall to the ground below. Powerful as she had become, she could not control the wind without her fan.

"Now Kagura, is that any way to treat your maker?" His face contorted into a sneer as he watched her writhe in pain.

"Damn you Naraku! Sesshomaru is going to kill you! He is going to make you beg for your worthless life before this is over!" She screamed, anger consuming every bit of her being. She would not let him get the satisfaction of seeing her fear, not anymore. She was not his slave any longer, and she would make sure he knew she would not be controlled so easily anymore.

"You don't control me anymore Naraku, I am not the little weakling who obeyed your every beck and call." She stared at him, letting the hate overflow from her pores, seething from her body. "Know this Naraku, that **I** will be the one smiling over **your** corpse when this is over!"

Naraku laughed as he pierced his hand deeper into her torso, twisting it into her flesh. The overwhelming pain she felt made her body writhe agony. She could fight it no longer, as she felt her eyes close and blackness overtake her. Giving his trademark smirk to the unconscious body of the wind sorceress, he took to the skies and headed towards his castle.

* * *

Sesshomaru bolted up from under the tree he was sitting at. He could feel something was wrong all the way to his very core. He quickly sniffed the air all around, trying to find the source of his alarm. Although it was very faint, he could smell blood in the distance. His eyes widened with alarm as he recognized it's scent: Kagura's.

"Jaken, take care of Rin." Sesshomaru ordered, rage filling his voice.

The shocked toad had no time to respond to his master's order.

Sesshomaru leapt into the air and formed his energy ball, hurtling towards the south with unparalleled speed. He could smell her blood getting stronger as he approached, and his anger grew with every second. He never should have left her alone, she was still unfamiliar with her powers. He willed himself to go faster, his anger giving way to worry. He finally reached the spot where the blood was strongest, and looked around at the devastation in the area. Touching the ground at his feet, he scanned around frantically, looking for Kagura. He saw her nowhere, but something else caught her eyes. Her fan was lying beside a puddle of blood on the grass. He picked up her fan and gripped it until his knuckles turned white. Training his nose to the air around the fan he recognized the sickening stench of Naraku was everywhere. He felt his eyes go red as he struggled to control his anger. He looked in the direction that her scent disappeared in, realizing it was in the direction of Naraku's castle. He wanted to follow her then, but knew he must make sure Rin and Jaken were okay before he left. It pained him greatly to know that he could not go after her immediately. However, with them being so close to Naraku's castle, it would be easy for Naraku to take Rin and Jaken as well. He formed his ball of light once more, and willed himself to go faster than he ever had, darting in the direction of his camp.

"Do not worry Kagura, this Sesshomaru will save you, and kill Naraku."

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**Hope you all liked the update, another will be posted before the end of the week. :-D**


	10. The final battle

**Hey guys, here's the next update in the story. I hope you all enjoy it. I got rather discouraged after the last 2 chapters of not seeing any reviews. But it's all good, I plan on finishing this either way, but reviews certainly do help, even if you want to say you don't like how the story is going, or constructive criticism. I would like to thank Sessy-Okugata for all of her loyal reviews! :-) Anyways, without further ado, here is the next chapter, Enjoy!**

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did I would be rich.**

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**Sesshomaru arrived at his camp only minutes later. Rin came up to him with concern in her eyes, the ever present smile on her face nowhere to be seen. She knew something was wrong with him, although his normal steely mask was in place, there was a fire in his eyes she had never seen before.

"Lord Sesshomaru…what?" Rin said with concern at not seeing Kagura with him.

Sesshomaru cut his eyes toward her and shook his head slightly.

"Jaken, we are going now."

Jaken cowered in front of Sesshomaru, choosing his words carefully.

"Y…Yes milord" was all he managed to squeak out. In all the years he had traveled with the lord of the West, this was the first time he had seen him this angry. His amber eyes were now tinged with red, and had a wild look about them. Jaken could only guess it had something to do with Kagura for he would not dare ask his lord, not now.

Sesshomaru turned abruptly from him, and started walking towards the edge of camp, looking back briefly to make sure his wards followed his directions.

Rin and Jaken got atop Ah-Un and followed Sesshomaru as he headed in the direction away from Naraku's castle. His body was ablaze with anger and he felt as if he would soon lose his composure. _'Naraku, you will pay for this, you will die by this Sesshomaru's hands today'_ he thought as he took to the skies. He had failed in protecting Kagura, but he would not fail in taking the life of Naraku. He willed his body to go faster, but knew he couldn't for fear of losing Rin and Jaken. He looked back briefly and grit his teeth, every second longer he took was another second that Kagura was in the hands of that monster. He could not allow himself to think this way, his first priority was to get Rin and Jaken to safety. If Naraku had the gall to kidnap Kagura, he could surely be plotting to take them as well.

His nose still was burning from the scent of Kagura's blood, and it made his stomach churn. Not being able to get the scent from his nostrils infuriated him even more. He turned his attention from himself and focused on the task at hand. As he was scanning the area for somewhere to drop his wards his eyes settled on a cave to the southeast that would do. He altered his course and landed at the entrance to the cave, with the others landing behind him. Rin and Jaken dismounted the massive dragon and walked slowly into the cave, they knew not what had happened, but they knew it must be something serious to get their lord this upset. Jaken pulled Ah-Un into the cave, not saying a word to his master, but Rin turned and stopped when she was in front of Sesshomaru.

Looking up at him with frightened eyes she softly said "Lord Sesshomaru, please be careful. Please come back to Rin and Jaken."

The demon lord nodded his head slightly as the little girl shuffled past him and into the cave. Once they were all safely inside, he formed his energy ball and raced away.

* * *

Once he was alone he let his poise drop. He could not continue to keep his emotionless façade in place, his mind was too consumed with rage and as much as he hated to admit it, fear. He could feel his teeth grit and he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white and blood trickled from his fingers. The anger he had towards Naraku was also an anger he had towards himself. If he had not left Kagura alone, he would have been able to protect her. He knew her powers were not yet as sharp as they needed to be, but yet he let her go off on her own. The audacity of Naraku just served to infuriate him even more. That disgusting half demon had managed to get under Sesshomaru's skin more than any other demon he ever faced. For the first time in his long life, Sesshomaru had a weakness and Naraku knew it, and he exploited it to it's fullest. Naraku most likely had a trick waiting for him at the castle, but he would go none the less. This would be the last time that vile beast would insult him.

He flew past the landscape, trees and skies nothing but blurs in his vision. Arriving at the spot where Kagura was taken from he paused to recapture Naraku's scent. The trail went to the North, straight to his castle. Once he had his direction, he took off once again, continuing his lightning speed.

* * *

Inuyasha and his group were also headed for Naraku's castle. His scent was getting stronger and Inuyasha quickened his pace. Kagome was on his back while Sango, Shippo, and Miroku rode on Kirara. The smell of Naraku was all around here, and they all thought it strange. For the last few days the only clues they had as to where he was was the cloud of miasma Sango and Miroku had seen on their scouting mission days ago. Then when they started their trek today, Inuyasha could suddenly pick up Naraku's scent, it seemed like they were right on top of him. Surely this was one of Naraku's schemes, but Inuyasha didn't care. One way or another, that bastard was going to die today.

Hopping over the ground at breakneck speed Inuyasha quickly closed in on the origins of Naraku's scent. It wouldn't be long now, and they would all get their revenge. Something made him slow however, another scent…Sesshomaru's. Had he gotten there before them? He slowed more as the scent became stronger and he realized it was not coming from in front of them, but behind them. Stopping in his tracks, much to the surprise of the others he sniffed the air again. There was something about Sesshomaru's scent that alarmed the half demon, it was the scent of sheer hatred.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned, as she saw the curious look on Inuyasha's face.

He did not answer, but craned his neck towards the South, squinting his eyes in the midday sun. Sesshomaru was approaching them at lightning speed, and he could feel his massive aura electrifying the air. Fearing a confrontation, Inuyasha sat Kagome down and took out his Tetsusaiga.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said, surprised at his sudden reaction. She switched her gaze to where he was looking but saw nothing.

"What's going on Inuyasha?" she demanded, this was not like him. What could take precedence of Naraku?

"Sesshomaru is coming, something isn't right." Inuyasha replied, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter. He would be on them any moment, and Inuyasha did not have time to weigh his choices. If he was this angry, there is no telling what Sesshomaru would be capable of.

He saw the outline of his brother appear in the sky and flew over them, not even slowing.

"What the…? Hey! Sesshomaru! Wait up you bastard!" He screamed. He then became annoyed at his half brother's avoidance and bounded off after him, leaving the other's behind. If it wasn't them he had come for, then it had to be Naraku, and there was no way Inuyasha would let him get to Naraku before he did.

"Sesshomaru!" He screamed once more as he managed to close the gap between them. He didn't turn nor slow down, and this infuriated him. Inuyasha swung the Tetsusaiga, hoping to get his attention in the only way he knew how. The blast caught up with Sesshomaru but before it could hit him, he turned and with a mighty blast from Bakusaiga, dissolved the attack. Inuyasha saw the look on his brother's face and it shocked him. In place of his normally emotionless demeanor was a look of sheer rage and he saw his eyes glistening red with fury. As their eyes met, Sesshomaru's mask slowly came back into place, but he could not hide the anger in his eyes. The younger brother leapt over to the demon lord and stood on a tree branch a few feet from him, pondering on what he should do.

"Sesshomaru…what's the matter." Inuyasha asked, as gently as he could muster. It did not come easy for the half demon, but he knew better than to confront Sesshomaru in his usual tone now.

"You would do well to stay out of my way Inuyasha" Sesshomaru growled at him as he resumed his pace.

"Wait! Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha demanded as he matched his speed. Taking off in a sprint again he chased after him. Finally he managed to come up beside Sesshomaru, bounding through the tops of trees at a pace he feared he could not keep for long. He cast a glance over at Sesshomaru again, the anger in his eyes burned like a thousand infernos. His amber eyes had turned to molten gold with swirls of orange and red in them, as his demon was barely being kept at bay. His fangs glimmered in the sunlight as his mouth was curled into the slightest of snarls, betraying his trademark look of indifference. The expression momentarily struck fear into Inuyasha. He had never seen Sesshomaru this mad, not even when Naraku had abducted Rin. He looked at his hand and noticed him carrying Kagura's fan. His eyes widened when he smelt the odor of her blood coming from it. Inuyasha suddenly realized what was going on. With a huge leap, he jumped in front of Sesshomaru and made him stop in his tracks.

"I have no time to deal with you half breed" Sesshomaru seethed.

"Sesshomaru, did something happen to Kagura?" Inuyasha demanded, temporarily ignoring the insult he had heard.

The demon lord paused momentarily and looked at the fan in his grip. He tightened his grasp on it until his knuckles turned white. Inuyasha watched his brother, studying his movements. This was not something he had expected. He had thought it was rather strange that Kagura had been traveling with Sesshomaru, but he quickly dismissed it as nothing more than she needed protection. Yet, the way his brother was acting now, told him there was something greater going on.

"Naraku has taken her" he said finally, his voice sounding like a low roar.

"What?" Inuyasha exclaimed, his eyes widening.

Sesshomaru said nothing more but stared off into the distance.

"Well you can't just go in there in a rage. That's probably what Naraku wants you to do! You know this has to be a trap and you're playing right into it!" Inuyasha tried to calm his brother but to no avail.

"You presume to lecture me? I am well aware of my actions." Sesshomaru said, moving around the hanyou.

Inuyasha reached his hand out and grabbed his brother's arm forcefully. Sesshomaru looked back at him, his face seething with anger.

"Unhand me, now." The tone in which it was said gave little doubt to the seriousness of the demand.

"Let us help you. If this is a trap set by Naraku, there's no telling what he has in store for you. We could catch him off guard if we all went together." Inuyasha said, trying to convince the demon lord.

Sesshomaru scoffed "I do not need any help from you." He pulled his arm away from Inuyasha and disappeared into the distance.

Inuyasha watched him for a moment before growling lowly to himself. "Stubborn bastard." He descended back to the ground beside Kagome, still staring in the direction that Sesshomaru had disappeared in.

"Inuyasha, what was wrong with Sesshomaru?' She said with concern.

"Naraku has taken Kagura."

A collective gasp rang out through the group.

"Well we need to go help him!" Kagome shouted, walking to Inuyasha.

"Kagome, do you think there is something going on between the two of them?." Inuyasha inquired, still slightly puzzled at his brother's actions.

Kagome knocked her fist against the side of his head. "Well duh! Geez, how dense are you? Of course there is, have you ever seen him this upset before about anyone besides Rin?"

Inuyasha stared at her, his face blank. "That's impossible, Sesshomaru is as cold hearted as they come…although that look in his eyes was different. I've never seen him like this."

"It's because he's worried about her, I am sure even Sesshomaru is capable of feeling emotions Inuyasha. Now let's catch up to him." She said, hopping back onto his back.

Sango finally spoke up "Do you think she will be okay? We are still a few hours from Naraku's castle."

"Well, if he's got some kind of trap set up for Sesshomaru then she shouldn't be in any danger yet. Naraku will keep her alive to toy with Sesshomaru." Miroku answered finally.

"Huh, you give Naraku too much credit Miroku." Inuyasha scoffed at the monk.

Kagome tightened her grip on Inuyasha's back "Well then we have to hurry!"

Breaking into a sprint, Inuyasha bolted off in the direction of Naraku's castle. The rest of the group followed behind him, all of them with a renewed sense of urgency.

* * *

Kagura had finally awoken. The dank smell of her environment invaded her nose. Looking around she was able to make out shapes as her eyes adjusted to the inky darkness around her. Taking in her environment, she rolled herself from her back onto her side. The cold floor creaked beneath her shifting weight and she felt a pain shoot through her entire body. She brought a shaky hand down to her torso, her fingers slid across the source of her pain, and she felt the dried blood that had stained the front of her kimono. Memories came rushing back to her now, Naraku had taken her in the forest. She widened her eyes at this thought, as she recognized where she was. The scents, the oppressive aura that surrounded this place, there was no mistaking it. _'I'm back in his castle!'_ The realization of this nearly caused tears in her eyes, she had never wanted to be here again, she never even wanted to think of this place again. The tortures she had experienced here had nearly broken her, but she refused to be weak now, she had to get out of here. Her heart started to pound as she rose herself up from the floor as silently as possible. She held back a yelp of pain as the sudden movement caused her still fresh wound to stretch, consuming her body in agony. She winced at the pain, and dismissed it as best she could as she scrambled to her feet. Casting a quick glance around the room she realized she was alone, now could be her only chance, she had to make her way to the exit. She staggered towards the shoji screen that led to the outside but an unseen hand grabbed the back of her hair. She gasped at the force that was pulling her back, she didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. The stench of her attacker filled her nose and she sucked in her breath as he pulled harder on her hair. She mustered up as much strength as she could and turned around and struck him across the face.

Naraku glared at her and spoke, "Now Kagura, you know that wasn't smart." He pushed her forcefully to the floor, and she landed hard on her hands. Grabbing for her fan, she grit her teeth in frustration as she remembered he had taken it from her when he abducted her. A low snarl eminated from above her as Naraku lowered himself down and sat on his haunches beside her, looking at every inch of her form. There was a disgusting hint of desire that filled his eyes as he took in her bruised and bloodied form, as Kagura saw this her fear turned to anger. She could still fight, she had to if she wanted to get out of here alive. With Naraku's attention being temporarily diverted, she quickly forced herself up and kicked him as hard as she could in his stomach. She looked on in sheer horror as Naraku's body absorbed the impact, he didn't even flinch. Breaking her gaze away from the monster before her, she turned towards the door and ran for her life.

He rose up from his spot on the floor and an evil smirk appeared on his lips. With lightning speed, he was in front of her again, blocking her only exit. Slinking away slightly, she held her breath for what was in store for her next. Having already experienced his beatings on several occasions, she knew her brash move guaranteed her nothing but more pain.

"Kagura, you honestly think that pathetic attack would hurt me?" He sneered, his tentacles rising from his back. In a flash, they pierced her kimono sleeves and pinned her to the wall. Even now Kagura refused to give up, she would not be the frightened, weak woman she once was. She would not give Naraku the sick pleasure of seeing her suffer. Mustering up all her strength, she let a torrent of insults fly at the half demon.

"Naraku, damn you! You piece of shit! I can't wait to see Sesshomaru kill you slowly!" The words rolled off her tounge, but she wasn't done yet. As a final insult, she narrowed her eyes and spit in his face.

This sent Naraku into a rage she had never seen before. His long fingers grabbed her by the throat and raised her high above the floor, choking the life from her. She gasped for air as his grip tightened around her neck, digging his fingers into her soft flesh. The force he exerted on her neck threatened to break bones, she could feel her spine shifting as he clamped down on it with yet more pressure. His eyes burned like two infernos, growing wider each time he squeezed harder. Desperate to free herself, she clawed at his vice like grip that was threatening to take the very life from her. Her eyes exuded sheer terror, she couldn't help it any longer. The resolve that she had moments ago was now being drained from her as she started to slip back into darkness. Upon seeing her look of terror, Naraku's twisted smile came back to his face. He withdrew his hand from her neck and watched her fall into a crumpled heap on the floor.

"I am not going to kill you Kagura…atleast not _yet_. We still have plenty of time before you beloved Sesshomaru gets here, and I have a lot to make up for."

She willed herself to stand up and run. If she could just make it outside, she could have a chance of getting away on her feather. She bolted to the door, adrenaline pumping in her veins. However, this attempt was also in vain. Before she could reach the exit, Naraku shot out a tentacle and pierced her through the still open hole in her abdome. Kagura let out a scream of agony and fell to the ground as a wave of pain unlike any other consumed her body. The grotesque appendage wrapped around her waist, tearing and stretching her bleeding flesh. Another blood curdling scream echoed through the room as he yanked her back hard to land at the floor in front of his feet.

"I have missed our time together Kagura, haven't you?" Naraku sneered, toying with her. Pain prevented her from doing anything but let out a haggard breath in response to his mocking question. He knelt down in front of her and held her chin up with his hand. She looked at him weakly, but with a fire still burning in her eyes.

"Ah yes, your new power. Too bad for you it makes you able to endure more pain, but it will be so much more fun than having you pass out again."

He got up and walked over to the side of the room. He grabbed a bowl of water and a cloth and came back over to where she lay on the ground. He dunked the cloth into the water and with eager eyes grabbed the front of her kimono. "You wouldn't want your precious Sesshomaru to see you all bloody and covered in dirt when he arrives." The cold water trickled down her chest as he wiped the cloth over her exposed skin. Her eyes flared at his touch, she summoned all of her power and tried to get away from the sickening creature before her. She started to kick and claw at the floor in a desperate attempt to break free from his hold. With ease he pulled her up by the front of her kimono, only inches away from his face. The sickening look in his eyes was one of desire. It made her want to vomit.

"Let's see if your precious Sesshomaru wants you after I have made you my _whore_." He ripped open her outer kimono, threatening to expose her whole body. Panicked, she started to fight like a caged animal. She would not allow Naraku to have her, even if it meant her death. She would rather die than to feel his touch on her skin once more. Blindly she attacked with her claws, striking him hard in the face. She felt the warm rush of blood beneath her nails as she retracted her hand. He stopped his advances on her and held his hand up to his face. He felt the warm blood ooze out of his check and saw the stain of red on his fingers as he examined them.

He looked up at her with an expression of pure hatred, his face contorted into a grimace as he spoke to her, his voice remaining the same sickening, mocking tone.

"You made me bleed, now let's see if I can do the same for you."

He pinned her down on the floor, releasing numerous small tentacles into her legs, arms and torso. Dozens of tentacles tore open her flesh, and she could feel them digging deeper, squirming inside her body. Overwhelming pain consumed her, she opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. Nothing could express the torture her body was going through. Still not willing to give up, she tried to break free from him, but the agony her body was in became too much for her. She could no longer move, his tentacle had pierced through her flesh and had burrowed into the floor boards beneath her. She could feel the warm blood pooling below her from the numerous puncture wounds she had, this wasn't how she expected to meet her end.

"Now what will you do Kagura? You can't fight me in this position…" He was stopped short as he heard a massive explosion coming from outside his castle barrier. Averting his eyes from the figure that lay before him, he saw a flash of green overtake the sky as he felt his lips turn into a sneer. Turning back to Kagura, he looked her body over one more time, delighting in her present condition.

"Looks like we won't get to have our fun yet. But don't worry, once I kill Sesshomaru, I will finish with you before I send you to the afterlife to join him." He ripped his tentacles from her flesh, warranting another scream from her lips. Rising up to his full height, he turned quickly and opened the shoji screen, taking a moment to look back at her one more time, before silently closing the door..

She was breathing hard, but she made herself calm. Sesshomaru was here now, all she had to do was get to him and then she would be safe. No longer possessing the strength to stand she started to crawl the opposite way Naraku had gone, hoping to slink down the hallway and disappear unnoticed. She managed to reach the doorway that led to the rest of the castle, but saw a pair of legs draped in blue blocking her way. She looked up the length of the figure standing before her and settled on his face: Byakuya.

"Tsk tsk tsk, is that anyway to act when you are a guest? Running away when the fun has just started is bad manners. Let me fix that."

In a flash he had vines wrapped around Kagura, their gruff edges tearing at her already damaged skin. They pinned her against the wall with her arms outstretched and her feet dangling inches above the floor.

"There, now, don't move." He chuckled as he opened the shoji screen and walked outside to stand with Naraku.

"Byakuya, you take Inuyasha and his friends. Let me handle Sesshomaru." Naraku commanded.

"Sure thing." Byakuya chimed, walking toward the front of the castle.

* * *

Outside the castle barrier, Sesshomaru was unleashing mighty blasts on it from Bakusaiga, but none were able to penetrate it. His rage grew and he brought his sword up to swing on more time, but before he could land the blow, he heard Inuyasha's voice from behind him.

"Outta the way!" Inuyasha yelled, jumping forward with the red Tetsusaiga held above his head.

Sesshomaru jumped to the side of his attack as the Tetsusaiga met with Naraku's barrier. Sparks began to shoot out all around the point of impact as the barrier quickly disintegrated. Sesshomaru darted ahead with Inuyasha following closely behind him. Arriving in the main courtyard of the castle, they stopped as they heard the sound of laughter in front of them. Out of the fog appeared the figure of a man dressed in blue.

"Byakuya" Sesshomaru growled "Where is Naraku?"

Byakuya smirked "I haven't the faintest idea _Lord Sesshomaru_" he said in a mocking tone.

Sesshomaru cut through the air with the Bakusaiga, releasing a massive blast towards him. As the attack made contact, Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as the illusion disappeared.

"What the hell?" Asked Inuyasha, stunned.

Another image of Byakuya appeared to the side of them, Sesshomaru ran forward and swung his sword. Instead of feeling flesh and bone scrape against the blade, he felt nothing, another illusion.

"I bore of these deceptions, come face me Byakuya." Sesshomaru looked around as his words echoed through the silence of the courtyard.

Finally the real Byakuya appeared beside Inuyasha, catching him off guard.

"So you must be that half demon Inuyasha, Sesshomaru's little brother." Byakuya stopped a few feet from him, glaring at Inuyasha.

"Yeah, that's right. And who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Oh, my apologies, I am Byakuya of the dreams. I will be your opponent now, Naraku is rather…_busy_ at the moment." He said, turning his gaze to Sesshomaru and allowing a smirk to come to his lips.

Sesshomaru raised the Bakusaiga over his head, preparing to strike, but Inuyasha beat him to it.

With a growl Inuyasha raised the Tetsusaige over his head, gathering wind energy to the blade. "I don't have time to deal with you!"

Windscar!

The massive shot of energy rushed towards Byakuya but he managed to dodge out of the way in time. As the blast disintegrated, Kagome and the others finally caught up to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. The group jumped off of Kirara and ran towards the two half brothers.

"Inuyasha! Sesshomaru!" Kagome yelled at them. Neither turned, both of them intent on watching where Byakuya landed. The others joined them in a line, readying their weapons.

Byakuya finally set foot on a small building to their right, landing with an unnatural grace. Sango raised her weapon above her head and threw it at him, slashing through the roof of the building.

"Sesshomaru, go and find Kagura, we will take care of Byakuya" Inuyasha said, turning his head slightly towards him.

Sesshomaru nodded his head faintly and took off in the direction of Naraku's castle.

"Time to end this quickly, I'm not gonna let Sesshomaru kill Naraku before I get there!' Inuyasha yelled, raising his sword again.

Adamant Barrage!

The array of shards converged on Byakuya, hitting him dead on.

"Huh, easier than I thought" smirked Inuyasha as he lowered his blade to the ground. His look of triumph faded when he saw the dust clear and Byakuya was still standing there, a barrier erected in front of him.

"Nice try Inuyasha, but I am not going to be so easily killed." He shot a massive amount of vines at Inuyasha, aimed straight at his heart.

Hiraikotsu!

Sango threw her weapon at the vines, slashing all of them. Inuyasha looked at her, thankful for the help.

"Alright, time to get serious, two can play at that game" Inuyasha said, as the blade on Tetsusaiga turned red.

Sesshomaru ran towards the castle, he could smell Naraku close by and he could also smell Kagura's blood. He held back his anger as he tried to concentrate on the fight ahead. Coming to the steps of Naraku's castle he paused at the bottom and saw Naraku's form slither out of the darkness.

"Ah Sesshomaru, you've finally arrived" Naraku sneered.

"Where is Kagura" Sesshomaru demanded, his anger saturating every word, although his tone remained the same stoic sound it always had.

"Oh don't worry, you will see her soon enough" Naraku replied.

Sesshomaru had heard enough from him, he raised the Bakusaiga and ran at Naraku. Naraku released his tentacles from his back and Sesshomaru cut through them with one slash of the Bakusaiga. From the cut ends a thick cloud of miasma started leaking from them, billowing over the ground.

"Fool," said Sesshomaru "That weak poison has no effect on me."

Naraku grinned, "Not on you Sesshomaru, but it will have an effect on that half demon and his friends."

Sesshomaru smirked slightly "Naraku, do you honestly think I care about those pathetic weaklings."

Sesshomaru ran at him again, cutting his way through the massive amount of tentacles in his way. He finally reached Naraku and let loose an attack. Naraku dodged it at the last second, jumping to the right.

"I see you are not hiding behind your barrier this time you vermin"

Sesshomaru attacked Naraku once more, this time making contact, but only with more of his gnarled appendages. This was getting tiresome, and Sesshomaru wanted to end this quickly, he wanted to get to Kagura. He held his sword in front of him and summoned a massive amount of energy into it. As he was about to swing, Naraku's voice stopped him.

"Do you really think that is wise Sesshomaru, a blast of that size would destroy everything in it's path, and if Kagura were in the way of it…"

Sesshomaru stopped himself, realizing what he said was true. It mattered not, he would destroy Naraku either way. He narrowed his eyes and took off towards Naraku, the blade of Bakusaiga gleaming in the air.

* * *

**Ok guys, that's all for now. I am planning on atleast a few more chapters after this next one to kinda elaborate of Sesshy and Kagura's life afterwards, but I am still writing those chapters. Not to sound like a broken record, but if you like, review, they really mean alot to me! Thanks for reading**


	11. Save her

**Ok my lovelies, here is the next chapter in the story, yay! I just want to clear this up that this is NOT the last chapter in the story. I plan on continuing it after this point to include their lives and the aftermath. I really loved writing this chapter. Sorry for taking so long but it is such a touching chapter that I wanted it to properly protray my vision and I hope I succeeded.**

**Anywho, hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it! :-)**

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did I would be rich.**

**

* * *

**"My my my, well that certainly is a pretty sword you have there Inuyasha" Byakuya teased as he saw the Tetsusaiga's blade bleed red.

A smirk grew across Inuyasha's face, as he lowered the sword to Byakuya. "Well, you're going to be a lot more impressed once you see what it can do." Without another word, Inuyasha charged at Byakuya, the sword's blade gleaming off the small amount of sunlight not hid by the clouds.

With the scraping of metal Tetsusaiga contacted with Byakuya's barrier, causing sparks of energy to arc off the surface of the protective dome. A fierce determination gripped Inuyasha as he bore down harder on the barrier, causing wide cracks to form on its surface. He had to deal with Naraku's incarnation quickly, so he would still have enough energy left for the main battle.

Through the shimmering purple hue of the barrier, he could see Byakuya's face display alarm for only a moment, before narrowing his eyes with a triumphant smirk plastered across his features.

"It takes a sick bastard to smile when they are about to die!" Inuyasha growled as he put all his energy into the sword, causing the barrier to break apart in a wave of electricity.

"So insulting Inuyasha, someone should really teach you some manners." Came the mocking reply as Byakuya stood vulnerable in front of the half demon. A devilish look came into his red eyes as they narrowed once more. "But it is not me that is going to die, but you!"

As soon as the words escaped his lips, Byakuya shot a massive amount of vines from the ground behind Inuyasha, spearing him through his left shoulder.

Inuyasha let out a painful yell as the mass of vines ground through his flesh. He had managed to shift his body at the last second to keep it from being a devastating attack through his abdomen.

Hiraikotsu!

The massive boomerang cut through the air with practiced precision, cutting the base of the vines that held Inuyasha in place. Now able to move, he grasped his injured left shoulder and glared at the demon standing in front of him. This was bad, even though he had managed to avoid the intended injury, his arm was now barely usable.

"Wind Tunnel!"

Inuyasha snapped back to reality when he saw the purple robe clad form of Miroku standing next to him. Unnatural wind spewed forth from the abyss in his hand, directed towards Byakuya, threatening to suck in everything in it's path.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?" His question was barely audible over the roars of the wind.

"Yeah" came the short reply.

Miroku braced his arm as the winds swirled with fierce determination, pulling timbers of wood off the nearby dilapidated houses. Byakuya still stood in the middle of the artificial tornado, the smirk on his face growing wider. Suddenly his body burst into hundreds of lotus flowers, at once being sucked into the nothingness of the wind tunnel. With an exasperated grunt, Miroku bound his hand with the customary prayer beads and started shifting his eyes to his surroundings.

"Not again! This is really starting to get old, you hear me?" Inuyasha's call to where Byakuya had last stood warranted a reply that seemed to echo all around them.

"Oh Inuyasha, you're no fun. I suppose since you are no longer entertaining, there is only one thing to do with you."

Ripples in the air formed to their left, and a moment later was replaced with Byakuya. Turning on his heels, Inuyasha tightened his grip on the hilt of Tetsusaiga and raised it over his head. His vision caught the small fissures being caused in the earth from the vines that were now being shot towards him.

"Oh no you don't, that little trick won't work on me again you bastard!" A moment before the vines made contact, Inuyasha launched himself back, flying through the air with lightning speed. Much to his surprise, the vines erupted from the earth and followed his ascent into the sky. As quickly as he could muster, he slammed Tetsusaiga down to try and destroy the attack.

He would never make it in time.

A shower of pink light spewed forth from behind him as an arrow soared through the air, destroying the vines that were only inches from hitting the half demon.

Letting out the breath he had been holding, Inuyasha directed his eyes to Kagome, who was loading another arrow into her bow, now aiming it in the direction of Byakuya. He landed beside her, and flashed her a quick grateful smile. She did not return the expression, her concentration fully on her intended target.

The wood of the bow creaked as she pulled it back, aiming with deadly precision. "Hit the mark!"

All the tension was released as the arrow was enveloped in a soft pink light and barreled towards Byakuya. Instead of a smirk, on his mouth was an expression of shock, as he tried to move out of the way. As a last ditch effort to save himself, he called up a wall of vines just as the arrow slammed into them. The holy power from the arrow poured out, destroying the vines on contact in a magnificent light show. Once the smoke cleared, Byakuya was nowhere to be seen.

"Not again!" Cried an anguished Kagome as the group collectively scoured the landscape for any signs of their opponent.

"Kagome, can you sense him? Can you sense where he is going to reappear again" Inuyasha's low voice came from beside her.

She shook her head slightly, "I don't know, but I can try."

Exhaling a deep breath, she focused her powers and let them guide her. Her eyes were still open but the landscape faded to black as she desperately tried to sense Byakuya's demonic power. Ripples formed in her darkened vision as Byakuya's form slowly started to materialize to the right.

"There!" She pointed to the ripples in the atmosphere, but as soon as she did, his form faded into the blackness once more.

"Very interesting priestess, but it is of no matter, you cannot keep up with my movements." The mocking tone of Byakuya's voice echoed to her. She pushed the voice from her head and concentrated once again on trying to sense their enemy.

The ripples seemed to come from everywhere now; numerous Byakuya's appearing to not only her eyes, but to her companions as well. She let her vision fade back to normal, and found that they were surrounded by atleast two dozen forms of Byakuya.

"Wind tunnel!"

"Hiraikotsu!"

The dual attacks pierced the silence of the battlefield. A massive wave of lotus flowers came forth from all the replicas as they were hit.

"We're getting nowhere!" Came an anguished response from Inuyasha, as he slashed his sword through yet another replica.

Their attacks were proving not only ineffective, but problematic as well. For each fake Byakuya they destroyed, another appeared in their place.

Kagome shot another arrow at a quickly approaching replica before being showered in lotus flowers. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she looked around at all the Byakuya's, desperately trying to find the real one. He eyes scanned quickly across the battlefield, until she finally could sense a demonic aura from the top of a crumbling house in the distance.

"Inuyasha! He's there!" She pulled another arrow from her quiver and strung it in her bow. Taking a moment to steady her aim, she released the arrow in Byakuya's direction.

When he heard Kagome's voice over the roar of the battle, Inuyasha shifted his eyes from the multiple Byakuya's to where Kagome's arrow was pointing. Following the arrow's intended path he saw a figure standing in the shadows on the roof of an old house. Sniffing the air slightly, he realized that this was no illusion. Willing his injured arm to move, he gripped the Tetsusaiga with both hands as a coat of diamonds covered the blade.

A moment later, Kagome's arrow was soaring through the air, aimed with flawless precision. Byakuya had been so preoccupied with the joy he felt from playing with Inuyasha and his group that he did not notice the arrow until it was upon him. Once again, he called forth his vines to shield him from the attack, but he only managed to raise his wall halfway before the arrow hit. The impact momentarily blinded his vision, but that was all Inuyasha needed.

When his sight returned seconds later, Byakuya was confronted with the horrifying vision of millions of shards of adamant screaming to him. His mouth gaped open as the attack throttled into him, slicing through flesh and bones and then through air beyond. His body was disintigrating, it was no match for the power of Inuyasha's attack.

Watching the attack from where he stood Inuyasha knew he had hit Byakuya head on, the sounds of painful cries only served to reaffirm this. Byakuya was finally dead. He slammed the Tetsusaiga into the soft earth at his feet, trying to ease the throbbing pain in his left shoulder. Blood oozed down his red haori, but he paid it no mind, they still had the final battle to deal with. Standing to his full height and slowing his breathing he called to his friends.

"Now for Naraku. Is everyone ok?"

His group gave a collective nod.

After giving them the once over to make sure of their condition, Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga from the earth and bolted off in the direction of Naraku's castle.

* * *

The clanging of metal was deafening. The air around the castle was electrified with charges of demonic energy, causing what little sunlight had been shining to now be blocked out by a mixture of miasma and unnatural clouds.

Sesshomaru was unleashing a ferocious assault on Naraku's barrier with Bakusaiga, but to no avail. Every point of contact he made did little more but cause ripples on it's surface. From behind his protective dome, Naraku merely smirked at the demon lord's assault.

After another mighty blow from Bakusaiga, Sesshomaru flipped back from the barrier, landing gracefully on the ground a few yards away. This despicable coward of a half demon was proving to be more problematic that he thought. He was unable to use his sword to it's full potential because he did not know where Kagura was being held. He had not sensed her aura since he had arrived, only the overwhelming stench of her blood. The dark thoughts in his mind of her lying dead inside the castle were wearing on him. There was also the problem that the coward would not leave the protection of his barrier. There must be a way to end this quickly, he was beginning to tire and his fears for Kagura's safety amplified every moment he dragged this fight on.

"Naraku, are you truly such a coward that you will not come out to face me on your own? You insist on hiding behind your barrier because you know that you will die by my hands today." The venom of his words was not lost on the half demon, but did little to erase the perpetual smirk from his face.

"Is it frustrating Sesshomaru? To know that you are too weak to rescue your beloved Kagura from me?"

Sesshomaru's eyes tinged red as he dodged another mass of tendrils shot out from behind the barrier. He would not stand around and have this vile half demon insult his strength. He would end this quickly, he would do what he must to destroy Naraku. He tried to scan the area inside the castle to feel Kagura's aura, if he could avoid her and hit only Naraku, he might be able to finish this. Even straining his superior senses, he could not trace Kagura's aura, but the smell of her blood that emanated from the castle seemed to be everywhere, not allowing him to pinpoint her position. He was now faced with a dire decision; he could either use his Bakusaiga to destroy Naraku and possibly harm Kagura in the process or worse, or he could continue as he had been doing and risk tiring himself more and not making any headway. His heart was beating hard in his chest, a combination of exertion from the battle and uncertainty over his decision. The latter emotion took him by surprise, he had never been uncertain in battle. He had always been calculating, one step ahead of any enemy he had faced. Now there was more at stake than victory or loss, and if the battle turned ill, he could not bear the fact of losing someone so precious to him.

He would save her, in any way he could, he could not allow anymore harm to come to her. He was the lord of the west, his sword was an extension of himself, he would make it bend to his will. His decision reached, he held the sword up in front of his face, pouring his demonic energy into the blade which made it glow in an eerie green light.

From behind the purple hued barrier, Naraku saw the aura being summoned to Sesshomaru's blade. His eyes narrowed at the demon lord's brashness, surely he was not going to release an attack of this magnitude when he had told him Kagura was inside. Perhaps he would have to up the stakes, he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Inside the castle, Kagura had finally awoken from her pain induced sleep. Outside, she could feel the massive energy being unleashed and could hear the clanging of Sesshomaru's sword. She tried to call out to him, but her throat was too dry to let the words escape, all that came out was a desperate squeak.

Waves of pain consumed her body as she tried to move. She could feel the restraints of the vines placed on her by Byakuya start to go slack. Looking down at them, she saw they no longer had their green color, but looked ashen and brittle. The power once imbued in them was gone, and that must mean that Byakuya was no more. Against her body's painful cries, she began slashing at the vines with her claws, letting them fall to the ground and wither away. It was difficult at first, her arms were tightly secured to her chest by the restraints, but the brittle nature allowed them to break easily against her struggling. Once she managed to get an arm free, she began tearing at them, desperation overtook her and she managed to tune out her body's injuries in order to free herself. She finally succeeded in releasing her torso when something in the corner of the room caught her eye. A soft glow was emanating from a large crystal, and it was held by someone. Her eyes widened as she realized who was in the room with her.

"Akago" the words cut through the air, reaching the infant in the corner.

He said not a word, but stared at the wind sorceress with such a look that managed to make her blood run cold. The hints of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he continued to stare.

"_I have to destroy him, and then Naraku will fall."_ Kagura's thoughts came rushing back to her as she managed to turn her eyes from the revolting infant.

With renewed vigor, she slashed at her remaining constraints, causing her battered body to once again become mobile. If only she could get to the infant, she could end this right now. The cold floor creaked below her feet as the last of the vines disintegrated around her. She set her jaw and began to walk over to the infant, but what sounded like an explosion ripped through the shoji screen doors, stopping her in her tracks. With horror she felt her body being squeezed by gnarled tentacles, lifting her once again off the ground. A blood curdling scream rang out from her as her numerous wounds reopened from the pressure on her body. The image of Akago drifted into the distance as she felt herself being pulled from the room. She desperately clawed at the tentacles wrapped around her body, but for every mark she made, the pressure on her body was amplified.

The cool air of the outside world blew through her sticky, blood soaked hair and stung the wounds on her face. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to her new surroundings, to her left lay the castle, it's façade now in shambles.

And to her right stood Sesshomaru.

Her heart skipped a beat as she took in his regal form and his flowing silver locks. Even though he had mud spattered all over him and he was now looking worn, he was still the most beautiful thing her eyes had even seen. In that moment she was unaware of anything else but him, he had come for her. Their eyes met one another's and she saw the worry in his own amber globes, mixed with anger. Just to see him again made her lips form into a smile, it was as if time had stopped, all her pain faded away and she knew everything was going to work out.

A single word escaped her lips, although it was so soft only she could hear. "Sessh…Sesshomaru"

Seeing the smile on Kagura's face only made Naraku's smirk that much wider. This would be how he would bring down the lord of the West, not with swords or barriers, but with her, Kagura, his only weakness in the world. He let the fact wash over him, as he began to squeeze his tendrils around her body, delighting at her face going from a smile to a silent scream.

He held her up, suspended in the air nearly fifteen feet, and began to squeeze the life from her. The sounds of bones cracking and giving way under his grip gave him a sick joy. He would watch her suffer, and then he would watch as she saw him kill Sesshomaru right in front of her. The look of pain in her eyes was something he had dreamed of, and it only served to amplify his twisted pleasure. His thoughts were interrupted as he saw a blur of silver, followed by an arc of green coming towards him.

Sesshomaru was coming at him with impossible speed, the blade of Bakusaiga glowing green with massive amounts of demonic energy. He swung the blade with mastered precision, slicing Naraku's tentacles apart. With the restraints now cut, Kagura's limp body started to plummet to the ground below, looking more like a ragdoll than a demon. With a burst of speed, Sesshomaru dashed in her direction, but was thrown off course by another mass of tentacles hitting him and throwing him on the ground several meters away.

Kagura saw him hit the ground only moments before her body made impact with a sickening thud. The impact made her broken body cry out in pain, and she could see the inky blackness closing in on her, but she willed it away, she would not give in now. Across the courtyard was Sesshomaru, already having made his way back to a standing position from the attack, he started to run back towards her again. Another mass of tentacles shot towards him and he dodged with perfect timing, landing once again on his feet.

Desperately Kagura tried to move her wounded body, she dug her claws into the soft earth and tried to pull her form to him. With every move she made she could feel her body protesting, feeling more like broken glass than flesh and blood. Every movement, no matter how miniscule, sent waves of agony through her threatening to make her give up and close her eyes. She wouldn't, couldn't, give up now, if only she could make it to him, everything would be ok.

Diverting his attention from the demon lord for a moment, Naraku saw his incarnation trying to crawl towards Sesshomaru. With a mocking laugh he shot out his tentacles and ensnared her once again by her wrist, bringing her up to hang in the air beside him.

Staring at her with blazing red eyes his mocking tone came to her. "I must say Kagura, it is impressive how you have managed to seduce our dear Sesshomaru. Perhaps I should have made you do this before you turned so traitorous." Looking back to the winded demon lord, he narrowed his eyes in disgust.

"You disappoint me Sesshomaru, can you not manage to save the one you love from only a lowly half demon? Perhaps the lord of the West is not so great afterall." His tone was mocking, hateful. It was designed to get a response from Sesshomaru, to make him play perfectly into his hand. He need only to bide his time.

The insults hurled at him by Naraku were something he would suffer no longer. He would kill this despicable waste of life, but first he needed to save Kagura.

"You will see how great this Sesshomaru is when you are bleeding at my feet. Release her…**now.**"

Naraku feigned a concerned expression as his sarcastic response hit the air. "I doubt that Sesshomaru. And as for Kagura, if you want her, come and get her." His gnarled appendage held Kagura out farther away from his body, tempting his opponent.

There was something off in Naraku's voice that caught Sesshomaru's attention. It was like he was playing with him, toying with him. With Naraku nothing was ever this simple, he had to be planning something. He drew his gaze from the disgusting half demon to the barely open eyes of the wind sorceress. He could see the pain in her eyes and the pleading for him to save her. That look alone made the risk of falling into a trap worth it. At seemingly the most inopportune time Sesshomaru heard his father's words echo in his head.

"_Love is not a weakness my son, it is a strength. Love makes you stronger, because you have something you need to protect."_

"_To be strong you must be able to protect those who need you, even sacrifice yourself if need be. The strong are responsible for protecting the weak. Never forget that my son."_

His father's words still fresh in his mind, Sesshomaru took one final jump towards Kagura.

With a satisfied smirk coming across his face, Naraku took a moment to congratulate himself on beating the lord of the West without so much as even breaking a sweat. Using Kagura as bait, he was able to make Sesshomaru do anything he wanted, and that would be his ultimate downfall.

Summoning all the power from Sesshomaru's attacks on his barrier, he prepared to fire the massive store of energy as soon as the demon lord crossed his path.

Kagura saw Sesshomaru's face coming nearer to her against the blurred landscape of her vision. She tried to cry out to him but her voice failed her again, her lungs were being squeezed in the deadly grip of Naraku's tentacles. She watched as he flew through the air, his refined grace present even as he was exhausted, but then she felt something else. She turned her head in the instant she sensed it. As her vision settled on the source of the power, a look of horror came to her face as she realized where it was coming from.

A purple aura was oozing from Naraku's barrier, crackling with untold power. In that instant she realized what he was planning and her stomach fell to her feet. She watched as the barrier that surrounded him warped as the power of his next attack left it. Surely Sesshomaru had felt it, surely he knew what Naraku was planning!

Jerking her head back to a still airborne Sesshomaru, she summoned up all her strength and managed to choke out a phrase: "Sesshomaru **NO**!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she saw Naraku release his surprise attack. Time slowed as she watched helpless to do anything but scream. She felt her body begin to tumble to the ground, Sesshomaru's strike had hit it's mark, freeing her from the mass of tentacles around her arm. As she looked up at him, she saw in that instant an immense blast of purple energy barrel into the side of Sesshomaru, knocking him to the ground.

Gasping from the sudden burst of air that invaded her lungs, she raised herself up on her hands to take in the aftermath of the attack. Kagura's eyes bulged out of her head, not fully able to comprehend what had just happened. Sesshomaru lay only a few feet from where she had hit the ground. His white haori was now colored black and the skin on his back was mangled and charred. A sickly smoke rose up from his motionless form, as the last remaining energy from the attack crackled and burned around him. Kagura stared at him for what felt like hours, pleading for any sign of life. Desperately she closed her eyes as the first of many tears rolled down her face and tried to sense his aura.

But it was gone.

She felt it then, in that moment, an agonizing pain in her chest. Her heart was breaking, she could almost hear the splintering sounds as it shattered into a million pieces. The physical pain it caused was far greater than anytime Naraku had tried to squeeze the life from it. She opened her mouth to scream, to cry out in pain of losing her most beloved Sesshomaru, but she could not. There was not a sound in the world that could convey the pain she felt now in her own heart.

"Kekeke." Naraku's sickening laughter broke the silence of Kagura's mourning. "Now Kagura, it is time for me to deal with you."

She looked up through tear stained eyes and saw a mass of tentacles coming straight towards her. But then another sound broke the silence.

"Hiraikotsu!"

The massive boomerang shredded through the air, destroying the tentacles that were aimed straight at her heart. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned herself on to her stomach and began to inch to where Sesshomaru lay only a few feet away.

Several yards away Inuyasha's gang had finally arrived after their fight with Byakuya. Miroku and Sango jumped from Kirara's back and froze in place at what they saw. Close beside them, Inuyasha slowly lowered the Tetsusaiga from above his head, looking at the charred body of his half brother. He swallowed hard and gripped the hilt of Tetsusaiga in anger. Even though himself and Sesshomaru had never been on the best of terms, the image of his half brother lying face down in the dirt was too much for him to bear. He gritted his teeth in anger as he cursed to himself. That bastard would pay, he would pay with his life, he would make sure of that.

They all stood for a moment longer in silence, the only one who made any sound at all was Kagome, and it was nothing more than a small whimper.

Kagura ignored them and the pain that she felt. She had to get to him, she had to see if maybe he was okay. She crawled along the dirt, leaving a trail of blood behind her. Tears soaked her face and her kimono, threatening to drown her at the sheer volume with which they flowed from her eyes. He was so close now, just one more moment and she could reach out and touch him.

"Ah Inuyasha, you finally make it. I am afraid you are too late though, atleast to save your brother." The perpetual smirk was still plastered across Naraku's face, although there was a hint of concern in his voice.

Inuyasha diverted his gaze from the fallen demon lord and wind sorceress to the despicable mound of flesh in front of him.

"Naraku, you bastard! You're going to pay for this! I am going to rip you apart!

* * *

The clanging sounds of metal and yells of battle seemed so far away to Kagura now. The only thing she could focus on was the body in front of her. She pushed herself forward once more and finally felt the strands of silver hair below her fingers. Her breath hitched in her throat as she forced herself into a sitting position. Broken ribs jostled in her body in protest of the sudden movement, but she didn't care. If she was going to die now, she would want it to be with him in her arms, nothing else mattered. Kagura sat beside him, too afraid to touch him, too afraid of what she would find if she rolled him over. She tried in vain to wipe the tears from her eyes, but only succeeded in spreading mud all over her cheeks. Trying to prepare herself for what she would find she let a couple of deep breaths fill her lungs, causing her to wince again in pain. As she felt her heart pound in her chest, she reached out with shaky fingers to his bloody shoulder. Gripping her claws into his bloodied haori she pulled as hard as she could, causing her to lose balance and fall over from her rather delicate position. Raising herself up once more from the ground she got on her hands and knees and made her way over to his body. When she gazed upon the face that was attached to this body, it was one she did not recognize.

His beautiful golden eyes had turned red, but they had none of the light she had seen on so many occasions. His still snarling mouth bared fangs that had elongated and the marks on his face had become jagged. She drifted her eyes down to his body and there was a gaping hole through his abdomen, she put her fingers over the wound that was still oozing blood. Bakusaiga was still clutched in his hand, the power it was imbued with still crackling and fizzing. Then she saw Tenseiga, his father's fang, resting in his obi, but not doing anything more. She snarled in anger, what good was a sword that could give life if it did not save the one who had power to wield it? With every breath she felt her heart breaking more, masking the pain she felt from the rest of her body. She touched his still warm face and let her fingers trace a line to his lips. Softly she ran her claws over his lips and bent down gently to kiss them, knowing it was the last time she ever would. As she pulled away she could see the teardrops that fell from her eyes making tracks on his bloodied face, he was still so beautiful.

Her teeth ground together, as she suddenly found herself violently shaking him, willing him to come back to her. His silver hair flailed softly around his face, sticking to the spots of dried blood that covered his entire body. A mournful wail was all that she could muster before throwing her body over his and grabbing onto his blood soaked haori. Tears rolled down her face in droves, as she pleaded silently for him to wake up, willing him to run his hand through her hair or for his chest to start it's rhythmic rise and fall once again. But there was no response, no matter how hard she begged and pleaded, he did not move. When her futile attempts to wake him up proved unsuccessful, the last of herself broke.

She felt a rage overcome her that she had never felt before, an all consuming wave of it crashed into her body. She found her voice at last and started to scream incomprehensible words of agony. The voice coming from her mouth did not sound like her own, but more like those of a dying animal. There were no thoughts anymore running through her head, instead her blood pounded through her veins like liquid fire. Casting him one last glance, something caught her eye in the sleeve of his haori. She leaned over his body and grasped the object in her hand. The familiar texture of it only fueled her rage, now she would take revenge, and afterwards let her injuries overtake her so she could follow him to the afterlife. There was no life for her here, not anymore, her life lay on the ground in a burned and bloody pile.

Standing up to her full height, she ignored the pain overtaking her and concentrated on the rage and anger she felt towards her former _master._ She would harness the physical and mental pain she felt and funnel it into her anger, making it into a deadly mix of malice. No pain she could experience, even now, could match the pain she felt in her heart. She willed her broken body to move despite it's cries of agony.

* * *

Inuyasha and Naraku were in a heated battle. The wall of tentacles that surrounded his barrier prevented Inuyasha from using his red Tetsusaiga. He was now furiously slashing at the obstacle while the others were destroying any tentacles that were coming in their direction.

They were all too consumed in the battle that no one saw the figure standing near the edge of the courtyard.

Flipping her fan open and staying her trembling fingers, she let her lips form into a snarl, her fangs hanging over her lips in a vicious display of anger. She would avenge him. The gift he had bestowed upon her would allow her to do so. The last teardrop fell from her eye as she could hear his words in her head.

"_I did it because I knew you were strong enough. I also did it to give you the strength to take your revenge on Naraku"_

She heard the cool deep tone of his voice and it made her all the more enraged. Her ragged breaths hung in the air as she drew upon the power boiling deep inside her. She focused on her power, making it swirl around her like the winds she controlled, arcing and fizzing with her demonic aura. The more she concentrated on controlling her power, the more her pain, however temporary, began to subside. She had only one mission now, to destroy her despicable _master_, to make him suffer and beg for mercy.

With slow determined steps she made her way to the battlefield, her body swaying slightly at the exertion, but she would press on. The first person to turn and see her was the monk, his eyes growing large at the swirling mass of energy surrounding her.

Slowly, they all felt it and turned as well.

Five pairs of eyes locked on the wind sorceress, all studying her with a mix of uncertainty and puzzlement. The red vortex of power that surrounded her was the same shade as her eyes and matched the burning fire of anger they now gleamed. She held her hand out to her side, loosely holding her opened fan in her grasp. Fiery eyes gleamed out at them, but were only fixated on one person: Naraku.

Masking his concern in his voice, he called out to the demoness. "Well now Kagura, it seems you are tougher than I gave you credit for, but what are you going to do now? Your new power is still no match for me." Pleased with his insult, he cast a sneer in her direction.

She just continued staring at him for another few seconds, growling lowly in her throat. When the reply came, it was hoarse and full of malice.

"You will die for what you did to him, and it will be by my hand."

Before Naraku had a chance to respond, or even fully comprehend what she had said, she brought her fan up and in a swift arc released her attack.

"Dance of Blades!"

One by one dozens of half moons of wind energy spewed forth from her fan, crashing through the air and making deep scars in the earth. Naraku just stood there with his trademark smirk as he prepared for the attack to hit it's mark. But when the blades of wind did not move in his direction, a look of alarm replaced his jubilance.

Instead of coming at him, they swept towards the castle and towards his heart.

In a panic he tried to shoot out a defense of tentacles to stop the blades from hitting their intended mark, but he was too late. With a violent crash, the massive crescents slammed into the barrier protecting Akago and the Fuyoheki. Under the assault the barrier began to warp and crack, bright white fissures began to appear on its surface as the attack continued to bear down on it. Blade after blade crashed into it until it could stand no more. Finally with a dazzling shower of light, the barrier disintegrated, leaving Naraku's heart vulnerable.

For the first time, Kagura saw the look of alarm and terror that crossed Naraku's face, he bolted towards the infant to try and make his escape but Kagura would not allow that.

While the blades of her attack were still dissipating she swirled her fan once more and released the finishing blow.

"Dance of the Dragon!"

The massive twisters were released from her fan and set upon their intended path with unparalleled ferocity. Spitting up dirt and rocks they closed in on Akago, a look of terror on his own face that matched that of Naraku's. When he saw the attack released Naraku tried to quicken his pace in a desperate attempt to shield his heart from total destruction, but all he managed to do was look on in horror as the attack crashed onto Akago.

Ripping timber from the partially destroyed castle, the attacks bared down on Naraku's heart, flinging debris across the whole of the courtyard. A painful groan came from Naraku as he felt his heart being destroyed in the vortex of power, he doubled over in pain from the loss of his most vital organ.

In his moment of pain, Kagura turned her gaze to where Inuyasha and his friends stood. Still gripping his sword tightly, Inuyasha had a look of surprise on his face at the sight before him, and it was matched by the rest of his group. Kagura's voice echoed to them through the air.

"Inuyasha! Now! Strike him before he can escape!"

Snapping the half demon out of his stupor, Kagura met his eyes across the courtyard. She saw the fierce determination that struck him then as he raised the red blade of Tetsusaiga.

This was the moment she had been waiting for her whole life, the moment when she would be free from him. But it was hollow for her. She had dreamed of being free from him and spending her life with Sesshomaru, but that had been savagely taken from her and there was nothing left. The thought threatened to bring tears to her eyes once again, but she willed them away. There would be time for tears later, but now it was time for action.

The red blade of Tetsusaiga slammed into the barrier, making a massive fissure which then exploded in light. Through the barrier Kagura could see Naraku's face twist into a look of sheer horror. He knew the end was near, and Kagura couldn't be more pleased to see that plastered all over his face.

As the barrier fell, Kagura unleashed another lethal barrage on him, joining the other's attacks. They all converged upon him at once, ripping, tearing, slicing. The noise was deafening but above it all they could hear the screams of pain from Naraku. In that moment, Kagura felt a twisted joy and relished in his screams. She was rejoicing at the fact that he felt what he had done to countless others in the past, it was a fitting end for one so vile.

As the dust cleared, she dissipated the aura around her and felt her body give way, nearly crashing into the ground where she stood, but she managed to regain control at the last moment. As Kagome held the now purified jewel in her hands, Kagura staggered away to rejoin her love and claim her final resting place beside him.

* * *

She finally managed to limp her way over to where the body of her love lay. With every step she had taken towards him she felt the pain come back to her in waves. She had managed to push it away in the battle, but no longer. Every movement she made felt like her body was made of shattered glass. She knew her ribs on the left side were broken, as well as her wrist and collarbone. The throbbing from her right ankle told her that that was probably broken too.

Yet all of it seemed so miniscule compared to the pain in her heart. With every pulse, she could feel it shatter more, until it would cease to be. She had gotten her heart back, only to have it break when the one who it beat for lay dead on the ground.

She stood for a moment over the body of Sesshomaru before falling to her knees beside him. She cupped his face in her hands, and felt how cold it had become. A gasp escaped her lips and she drew her hands back in horror and slumped over him, clawing at his haori and whimpering softly. The moment she felt his cold skin made her realize this was all real, and he was not coming back. Memories of the night they spent together came rushing back to her. She remembered how warm his body felt against hers that night, and she wept for the fact that she would never feel his warmth again. Tears cascaded down her cheeks like a torrent, it seemed they would never end. She wept for their lost future, for all that had been robbed from them and for all that could have been. He was a great taiyoukai, the Lord of the West, he did not deserve this. She wished that she could switch places with him, but she would join him soon enough. She would lay here until death took her, she would will herself to die beside him, there was no more joy in life for her.

Her breath hitched in her throat one more time as she felt the presence of Inuyasha's group around her. She did not lean up to look at them, but heard Kagome's voice call to her, far off and distant although she could not have been three feet from her.

"Kagura?"

She did not answer, she just wanted to be left alone to die.

"Kagura, please. You're really hurt and we can help you."

She could sense the concern in Kagome's voice, she knew she was trying to help her, but there was nothing they could do to help her now. She felt a soft hand lay on her shoulder, and she recoiled at the touch.

She then heard Inuyasha's voice, it was softer than usual but the words ignited a fire inside her stomach.

"Kagura, he's dead. There's nothing you can do for him now."

Her head snapped back and leered at the half demon. She knew that he was only trying to help, but to hear the words that had come out of his mouth set her into a rage.

"**Leave us"** she seethed, gritting her teeth as the words escaped her lips.

The group withdrew slightly at the tone of her words. Kagome tried to say something, but a hiss from Kagura made her stop mid syllable.

"**Leave us! I am none of your concern, Naraku is dead and you have your jewel!"** She slowly began to open her fan to show them how deadly serious she was but the monk's voice stopped her.

"She is right Kagome. There is nothing more we can do here."

Kagome gave Miroku a shocked look and started to argue.

"But Miroku, she's hurt, _badly_. We can't just leave her here."

"We can and we shall, we should respect her wishes." Miroku softly replied.

Kagome let out a soft sigh and looked back at the glaring red eyes of the wind sorceress.

"Kagura, I'm so sorry." She hesitated for a moment, trying to find the words to say. Looking for encouragement, she gave an awkward look at Inuyasha, but his eyes were fixated on the body of his half brother lying beneath Kagura. She tried to give a comforting smile, and continued "We will always be around if you need anything."

She weakly looked at Kagome and softened her features. "Please take care of Rin and Jaken."

Kagome looked at her, her eyes glassy with sadness as she gave a small nod to the wind sorceress before turning to leave

Kagura watched as they slowly trailed off, hearing a brief conversation between Kagome and Miroku.

"Miroku, why did you say we needed to leave? She could die if she is not taken care of"

"I believe that is her wish, and however strange it may seem, we should not interfere."

She watched as Kagome gave a sad look back in her direction before glancing behind where Kagura was sitting.

Kagura turned her vision to where Kagome's gaze had gone and saw Inuyasha still standing behind her. A frown was on his lips, and his ears were flattened against his head.

"It shouldn't have ended like this" His remark was directed at no one in particular, and he slowly turned on his heels and followed after his group.

After she had watched their forms fade into the shadows of the surrounding forest, she turned her gaze back to Sesshomaru. A clawed hand went up to his face and brushed the few rogue strands of hair from his eyes. His eyes…they were still open, locked in a never-ending gaze. She let out a shallow breath as she ran her hand over them and closed them for the last time.

"You saved me my love, but it cost you your life. I am so sorry"

She could hear his voice inside her head. _"I already told you Kagura, there are no regrets from this Sesshomaru."_

"I wish it wouldn't have ended this way." She said softly as she slipped her hand into his. "I wish we could have lived our lives and been happy, but I will follow you into death my mate, where our souls shall be together forever."

Her lip quivered as tears began to roll down her cheeks again. Filling her lungs with air she lay upon him once again, and resigned herself to the shadowy arms of death. Her breath became shallow as she waited there for her injuries to claim her but a slight vibration and a rising demonic aura caused her to raise her head once again. The sound of metal vibrating made her eyes shift to his sword.

Tenseiga was vibrating.

The hilt of the sword was exuding a soft blue aura, and as she looked at it, the sword began to strengthen it's vibrations. She lifted her body off Sesshomaru and slid her hand slowly down to the sword. When her hands touched it, she heard a voice in her mind. It was muffled at first, but as she grasped the hilt firmer, it became clear.

_Do you wish to save him?_

The deep voice sounded similar to Sesshomaru's, and she realized it was coming from the sword. A look of confusion crossed her face. She must be going delirious from all her injuries, but the voice sounded out again.

_Do you wish to save him?_

She hesitated for a moment before answering aloud.

"Yes"

_Then you must use the sword. _

She looked down at the pulsating blade in her hand and slowly pulled it from it's sheathe.

As she held the blade before her, the blue aura slowly consumed the blade, she could feel the energy pulsing through her body. She heard the voice come to her again, louder this time.

_Use the sword and he shall be saved._

She felt frustration come over her. "But I don't know how! Only Sesshomaru knows how to use the blade!"

_It is my fang, and it will save my son. Use it's power and bring him back._

Kagura's eyes widened when she heard those words. Sesshomaru's father? At that moment she felt a comforting heat consume her that pulsed through her veins. Slowly she stood up and raised the sword in her hands. It pulsed and she could see the messengers of the underworld crawling on his body.

_Cut through death to bring back life._

The warmth pulsing through her body intensified as she gripped the hilt tightly. Taking a deep breath, she arced the sword over his body, destroying the imps that were surrounding him. The sword pulsed once again as the light faded and the warmth left her body, leaving only the pain of her injuries once more.

She looked down at him, the sword still suspended in her grip. Locking onto his face, she waited for any sign of life, but his lips remained ashen and his eyes did not open.

"What now?" She called out, but the voice did not answer.

"What now? What did I do wrong?" But for the second time there was no response. The voice was gone.

She let the sword fall from her hands, the clanging of metal masking her own cries of pain. She went to her knees once more and crumpled over his body, sobbing uncontrollably. She had one chance to save him, and she could not do it. All those times he had saved her, and she could not save him when it counted most.

She felt his body move slightly, and she stopped her sobbing and listened. Slowly, she could hear the rhythm of his heartbeat in his chest. Her head flew up from his body and felt a clawed hand run through her hair.

Amber eyes locked with hers, blinking slowly as if it was the first time he opened them in years.

Her entire body trembled "Sesshomaru…?"

His lips parted and uttered her name.

"Kagura"

She looked at his face. The color had come back to his lips and all the marks were gone, leaving only pristine pale skin. She rose herself up to look at the hole in his chest, but it was no longer there. Tears came to her eyes then, but they were not tears of agony, but of joy. The pain in her heart subsided as she brought her lips to his and savored the feel of them.

His hands entangled her hair and brought her lips closer to his, deepening the kiss. Grabbing for any part of him she could find, she pulled herself closer to him, engrossed in the fact that she could feel his heart beat, feel his chest rise and fall. He had come back to her. His other arm wrapped around her and she could not hold back they cry of pain as she felt the pressure on her broken ribs.

Sesshomaru broke the passionate kiss and sat up slowly with her in his arms. He held her at arm's length and inspected her broken body.

"You are injured badly." His voice was softer than normal and concern filled his eyes as he saw blood still oozing from her wounds. "We must get you somewhere that you can rest."

She knew that she was in bad shape, the fight with Naraku had only worsened her injuries. The blood loss would cause her to pass out shortly, but she only wanted to be held in his arms for a little longer before it happened.

"No, please, not yet." She choked out. His eyes narrowed slightly at her response but she continued. "I just want to feel your arms around me one more time."

He looked at her for a moment before pulling her to his chest. His strong arms held her loosely so he did not aggravate her injuries even more.

"I knew you would come for me." She took a ragged breath before continuing. "You saved me again."

His voice came to her, the deep sound reverberated in his chest. "And you saved me."

A smile came across her face as she slowly gave in to her darkening vision.

* * *

**Ok, just to clear one thing up, Kagura is NOT dead! :-)**

**Also, there are just a few parts of this chapter that I want to clear up. I feel like they did not get all the attention they deserved while I was writing, but I felt it would make the story drag if I explained them in text.  
**

**First of all: The part about why Sessh could not sense Kagura inside the castle. Akago was sitting beside her and although she did not have the Fuyoheki in her possession, I believe that it makes all demonic auras around it dissapate.  
**

**Second of all about the Tensaiga. I know that Sessh was saved by the Tensaiga once before in a fight with Inuyasha, but he has never been resurrected with it. In the anime, his mother says it can only bring someone back from the dead once, therefore I used the fact that he had only been protected by it on one occassion. And he couldn't exactly bring himself back once he was dead, he had to have someone else bring him back. Also, yes, Sessh is Tensaiga's master, but when his father is talking to Kagura he makes the sword bend to his will and work for her, since it is a part of his body anyways.**

**Hope that clears it up so I don't get any angry fanmail, lol.**

**Also, I would like to thank all my reviewers and those who added this story to their favorites. It really does mean alot to me to know people are enjoying this story. :-D See you all next chapter!**


	12. The Aftermath

**Ok my lovelies, it is later than intended but here is the next update. This chapter is more of a transitional chapter to the next part of the story. I had a hard time writing it because in truth, the last chapter was the original end to the story but I felt it left it unfinished. I introduce an OC in this chapter who will be a pretty big part of the storyline in later chapters. His name is Mamoru, and he was Sessh's father's general (second in command basically) He is a tiger demon, and the way I envisioned him is looking more like a tiger, but with human like facial features. One day on DA I might comission someone to draw him because I am not that talented! **

**Anywho, hope you enjoy it!**

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did I would be rich.**

**

* * *

**The sound of blades clashing could be heard all through the castle grounds. Their chimes and reverberations were evidence of the mighty force being put into each swing. At the source of the noise was a battle raging between two powerful demons. If one were to stumble onto this sight, they would surely think it was a battle to the death, instead of a rigorous training session instigated by the lord of the castle. The two broke away from their stalemate and took a moment before converging once again. Raising his sword into the air, Sesshomaru took a mighty swing at the elder tiger demon. If it had been a real fight, the blow surely would have taken the elder demon's head clean off, but Sesshomaru stopped just short of the death blow, Bakusaiga's blade missing skin by only a hair's width.

The tiger demon cast a relieved smile at the demon Lord, and lowered his sword from it's ineffective blocking stance. "That was a little close, my lord." He sheathed the worn blade into his obi, and took a deep breath.

"I believe that would be a sufficient stopping place for today my lord." The black tiger markings on his face that had become jagged from the battle slowly regained their smooth outlines.

"Very well Mamoru, we shall resume training again tomorrow" Sesshomaru replied, sheathing the Bakusaiga.

Mamoru nodded at Sesshomaru and took a seat outside the ring of the open air dojo in an attempt to calm his quickened breathing. He was still a capable warrior by all rights, but his thousand years were starting to catch up to him. He cast his eyes to Sesshomaru, who was still standing at the middle of the arena, a pensive look on his face.

"So, how is Lady Kagura doing my lord?"

Mamoru had been surprised seeing his lord show up for the first time in nearly three years, but what surprised him even more was seeing the wounded demoness Sesshomaru was cradling gently in his arms. For hundreds of years he had served the great dog general, and never in his wildest dreams did he think one day Sesshomaru would find someone that he had not been forced to mate. No words were spoken between them that day, but Mamoru could tell by the look in his eyes that she was someone special to him. So for once, the rumors had been true. Whispers of Sesshomaru finding a mate had been growing around the castle, but he did not believe them until he saw the ice prince show up that day.

Amber orbs flashed for a moment at the mention of her name. "She is still gravely wounded." He drew in a sharp, silent breath "I imagine she will be asleep for another few days atleast, if not for another week."

The look in Sesshomaru's eyes did not escape the general. He knew there was an unspoken reason behind his sudden reappearance with the injured woman, and his eagerness to train only furthered to confirm his suspicions.

"She is strong my lord, she will recover quickly." He thought about what to say for a moment, deciding if it was too forward. His mind lost the battle and he finally spoke. "She will make a fine mate."

Sesshomaru turned his gaze sharply to the seasoned general, his stoic persona still in place, and said nothing.

Mamoru ran his claws over his braided charcoal hair, the black stripes on his face curving upwards as a nervous smile overtook his features. "Forgive me for being too forward my lord. I merely make an observation."

If the _assumption_ had come from anyone else, their fate would have been sealed. In demon custom, it was forbidden to just _assume_ that someone was an intended mate. They were only referred to as such once the announcement had been made official, to refer to them as such before could cause significant political repercussions. Sesshomaru had known Mamoru since he was a child, he was not only his father's general, but a loyal friend, and now that loyalty had passed to Sesshomaru.

"You need not ask forgiveness Mamoru. She will make a fine mate." Sesshomaru smiled to himself internally, he had no doubts in his choice.

"Thank you my lord." Mamoru readjusted where he was sitting and put his paws behind him, resting his weight upon them. "Do you have any plans on when you are going to make it known?"

Sesshomaru thought for a moment. Originally he had intended on making their mating official as soon as they defeated Naraku, but the situation had changed. Kagura was still recovering, and would be for some time.

"I will announce it after Kagura recovers fully."

Mamoru nodded in silent agreement. There was so much more he wanted to ask him, much of it being about the circumstances that brought them here and who this mysterious demoness was, but he thought better of it. Years of serving under the great Inu No Taisho had taught him much about his young Lord. One could not be so forward with him on personal matters, lest they wanted to lose their heads. However, there had been a subtle change in Sesshomaru's behavior since he arrived at the castle, and he could only assume the young demoness had something to do with it. Involved in his thoughts, he did not notice Sesshomaru approaching him until he saw a clawed hand presented to him.

Looking up and flashing one of his typical cheery smiles, he grabbed the extended appendage and stood up.

"Do not think me so old that I cannot stand up without help, there is still some fire within me yet!" He let a hearty laugh fill the silence of the dojo as he stretched out his sore muscles. The training session had taken a lot out of him, but he had no complaints. It had been far too long since he had been in any real battles, so needless to say he was quite pleased when Sesshomaru wanted him to be his training partner.

"I am aware, you are one of the only demons who would prove a challenge to me. That is why I wanted you to assist me with my training." Sesshomaru said as he released his hand from Mamoru's grasp.

Mamoru nearly had to bite his tongue to keep him from asking all the questions that had been plaguing his mind. If he were to ever know what had happened, it would be on Sesshomaru's will alone, he would not try to pry.

"I will go check on Kagura now." Said Sesshomaru as he turned to the long walkway that separated the two buildings.

Mamoru nodded to him "I believe I will go and take a walk around the castle grounds. I need to let my muscles stretch a bit, and now that you are back my lord it is my duty to once again make sure the castle is safe."

Turning his head briefly, Sesshomaru spoke to the general. "There is no demon in this land that could pose a threat to this castle now, do not worry yourself with these things."

Realizing that Sesshomaru meant now that _he_ was here, Mamoru let go another chuckle. "You may be right my lord, but it never hurts to be sure."

* * *

Walking through the castle interior, Sesshomaru could not help but feel a little bit of nostalgia from being back in his childhood home. He remembered how the castle used to be full of life, whether it be foreign dignitaries, servants or old friends, it used to bustle with activity. Now it seemed to only be a shell of what it was when his father had ruled. Sesshomaru knew that it was because he was hardly ever there to rule, but he left that to Mamoru in his absence. He could count on one hand the number of times he had returned to the castle since his father died. In truth, it was because he felt that he was living in his father's shadow by being at the castle. One day he had planned to return and take up his rightful duties as Lord of the West, but there were other matters he had to attend to first. He had sought the Tetsusaiga originally, chasing after Inuyasha for his father's powerful heirloom. He had desired it's power, power his father once freely wielded. In Sesshomaru's mind, he required the Tetsusaiga to be able to surpass his father's power, and be considered worthy of inheriting the throne, but that had all changed once he acquired Bakusaiga. He had now surpassed his own great father's power, and was indeed worthy of taking the thrown. Then there was the matter of that bastard Naraku. Although an unexpected event, his run in with him on that fateful day had changed his life. He had a new focus to his life, a new purpose. That despicable half demon insulted him at every turn, the very breath he took insulted him. He was glad that Naraku had perished, but the fact that he was unable to destroy him still festered in his thoughts. He was still trying to come to terms that he had been bested in battle, but he was determined that it would never happen again. Even in the underworld he was sure Naraku was still gloating at the fact that he was able to take the great Sesshomaru down. The thought enraged him and he let out a calming breath and pushed it from his mind. Strange that out of something so horrible came something so beautiful. If he never would have met Naraku, he most likely never would have met Kagura. By no means was he grateful that he got tied up in the vile half demon's plots, but he did appreciate the circumstance that led to him meeting Kagura.

He paused in front of the shoji screen door that led to Kagura's room. It pained him everytime he saw her in her present state. Every wound on her body was like a wound on his soul. He had been responsible for her, and yet he had failed to protect her. Never again would she go through such pain and suffering, he would make sure of it.

The shoji door slid open silently as he hesitated in the doorway, listening to her shallow breaths permeating the silence in the room. He had watched over her these last few days, watched as she went through scorching fevers and shattering chills. The first day he arrived back here with her she was in grave condition. She had lost a large amount of blood from all her wounds, it could have easily killed a weaker demon but his intended mate was strong willed, she would not give into it. The healer had done all he could that day, now all that Sesshomaru could do was wait for her to wake up.

Taking a seat in the familiar chair by the futon, Sesshomaru looked over her body that peaked out from the top of wrinkled sheets, no doubt she had kicked them away in one of her feverish spells. Most of the wounds that covered her body had healed, leaving only flawless porcelain skin in their wake. However, her chest wound was the most severe. It was still open slightly, although the bleeding had stopped after the healer had seen her. It would likely take another two days for it to heal completely. He clenched his teeth, such ugliness had no place on a body that was as flawless as hers. His anger over her pain had caused him to go nearly mad the first day. She never deserved to suffer again, not after what she had been through while she was forced to work for Naraku. That had spurred on the relentless training sessions with Mamoru. He could not sit with her everyday doing nothing to prevent this from happening to her again. If there was a way that someone as pitiful as Naraku could have bested him, he would hone his already impressive skills to a level of perfection. He would live up to his name of the killing perfection and would fall to no one ever again.

Her breath hitched in her throat, snapping him out of his thoughts and he watched as she repositioned herself on her side, facing Sesshomaru. How he longed to see her crimson orbs open in that moment, bringing their fire back to his life. He gently got up from his chair and put his hand on her forehead. She no longer felt warm or cool to the touch, her soft skin was also beginning to regain its warm glow again. Bringing his hand to the crumpled mess of sheets he gently laid them across her before sitting down beside her on the futon. He brushed the few strands of loose ebony locks out of her eyes and rested his hand on her cheek. He longed to take her in his arms, but he did not for fear of waking her. She must rest, but that did not stop him from leaning in and whispering into her ear.

"When you awake, you will awake the Lady of the West."

She stirred slightly as he uttered the words, but did not wake. He sat up straight again on the bed, regarding her once more. How he longed to touch her smooth skin, to claim her as his own, to mark her as his own, but it would have to wait. In these quiet nights he could not help but reflect on how they had come to be. In the past, he would have never thought himself to be capable of feeling like he did now. He loved Kagura, he knew so in his heart, although the emotion was foreign to him, he had never felt this way before. But would he ever be able to say the words? Surely she knew he did as well, but after the ordeal they had went through she deserved some kind of affirmation. She had saved his life, and there was nothing he could do in return to repay her for such a tremendous gift. He wanted to show her he was grateful to her, but showing gratitude to someone had been something he never had to do before. Perhaps, these words could express it to her. He had often observed humans say it to each other, but their blaisse attitude when they said it was strange to him. Wasn't the emotion of love supposed to be the most powerful? And yet, it seemed to be almost mundane when he heard it said. Why then was there so much emphasis put on this emotion if it sounded so jaded when expressing it. It made no sense to him. When the time finally did come for him to express this, he would make sure she knew it meant more than words, he would show her how much he did truly love her.

Letting a low sigh escape his lips, Sesshomaru stood up from his spot on the bed. He needed to go on a quick patrol, but the thought of leaving her pained him. However, he knew it was his duty to keep her safe, and he wanted to make sure that Mamoru had not overlooked anything. He had the upmost confidence in the general, but this was his castle, he should be the one who determined it was safe. He ran a clawed hand over the exposed skin of her arms, once again instigating nothing more than a slight twitch from Kagura. Turning from her bed, he slid open the door that led to the gardens, taking one last look at her before he closed it again.

* * *

Finishing his rounds of the castle, Mamoru walked through the open corridors that lead to the main palace. His bare feet padded down the main hallway, making little noise. When he reached the room where Kagura slept, his paced slowed, if only for a moment. He knew Sesshomaru was there, he did not need to sense his aura to be certain. When he felt Kagura's aura, a small smile crept onto his face. Her strength was returning quicker that he had thought it would, perhaps Sesshomaru's perdictions on when she would awake were wrong. His views on her strength however, could not have been more accurate. Continuing his trek to his room, his steps resumed their regular speed. Much had changed in the last few days, their lord had finally returned and it seems they would have a Lady of the West once again as well. The smile on his face widened at the thought, but it was quickly replaced by a stern expression. Along with the rumors circling the castle of Sesshomaru finding a mate, there was also hushed talk about the future lady's past. They talked of her attachment to Naraku, and all the heinous things she had done while in his service. Talked of how she was not a demon of nobility, but merely an incarnation of a half-demon. Mamoru cared not who she was or what she did in the past, merely that she made his lord happy. He feared he would be one of the few who could truly say that. Naraku had been despised by all demon's, not only those caught in his traps. Their hatred for him ran deep, and perhaps not all would be willing to look past Kagura's attachment to him. Mamoru knew little of the half demon, save what he had heard talked about at the castle. All he knew was that he had sought the sacred jewel, and that he had been destroyed and that Kagura was somehow tied in with him. All he could do was trust in his lord's decision. The western land was a great kingdom, led by a powerful leader, but it had also made enemies in it's quest to become what it was today. A long, low sigh escaped his lips as he slid the shoji screen open and stepped into his room.

* * *

_Kagura stood on the edge of a rocky and crumbling cliff. The air around her smelt of death and decay so thick that it nearly made breathing impossible. Below her she could see a purple glow emerging from the void and starting to gather strength. The glow got brighter and brighter until she had to shield her eyes. A voice from the silence nearly made her heart stop._

"_Well Kagura, it seems that you finally got your freedom. But you are sadly mistaken if you think you will ever be entirely free from me, you are a part of me Kagura, never forget that."_

"_You are wrong Naraku. I may have been made from your flesh, but you will not own me, you never did. The part of you inside me died when I destroyed you, all that remains is me."_

_His twisted laughter filled the air as she removed her hand from her eyes. Looking down at the void once again, she saw an image of Naraku. Nearly transparent and surrounded by the same eerie purple glow, he stood smiling up at her with his trademark twisted grin. As she stared at this vision, it slwly started to stretch and fade into the purple glow so far below her. His laughter rang through the air, echoing and reverberating against some unseen wall. Before his form faded entirely from her vision, she saw his lips moving, saying something in his last moments of consciousness, but the deafening roar of his laughter surrounding her prevented her from hearing it._

The scene faded from her mind as shapes began to come into her vision. There was a dull ache all over her body and as she tried to move, her stiff joints protested. Opening her eyes wider, her vision became clear, the blurs were replaced by furniture and the soft glow of a lamp in the corner of the room. She laid there, trying to draw from the last memory she had in hopes it would help her to realize where she was at. The last thing she remembered was blackness overtaking her while she was in Sesshomaru's arms. Sesshomaru…where was he? She bolted upright from the futon and a groan escaped her lips as she felt a pain resonate thorugh her entire body. Her gaze drifted down to her body, cloth bandages still covered most of her skin and she remembered all the wounds she had received from Naraku. A smile crossed her features at the thought of his death. _'He cannot hurt me anymore, he is dead, and I am now free.'_ She repeated that to herself, trying to force the memory of her dream out of her mind. She would refuse to waste anymore time thinking about him, his memory would be forever locked in the back of her mind, but she would not allow herself to think of him any longer. She slowly started to peal the layers of bandages from her skin, while still trying to figure out where she was. She could feel demonic auras around, but they did not seem malevolent. Judging by the ornate furniture, she had to be somewhere of importance. Her mind was still too foggy from sleep to thoroughly analyze the situation, and it was not the most pressing matter on her mind. She wanted to find Sesshomaru, to make sure he was really alive and it had not been some delusion she had suffered while she was unconscious. She hurriedly peeled the bandages from her arms, revealing unmarked flesh beneath them. Piece after piece she discarded, until in her zeal she ripped a bit too hard at the bandage on her abdomen. Pain shot up her body, a burning numbing pain that caused her teeth to grind together. When the burning subsided, she peeled at the cloth again, gently this time to not aggravate the apparently still healing wound. As she unwound the layers from her body, slowly purple and red flashes of irritated skin appeared. It was only when she unwrapped the last layer that she was able to fully appreciate the severity of the wound. Although it was mostly healed, a gaping wound still remained, inflamed and angry. She remembered exactly how this wound occurred, and it made her blood boil. She could almost feel the jagged edges of Naraku's tentacles piercing her flesh as the memory came back to her. Then she was reminded of another, more painful memory. The image of Sesshomaru's wounded and charred body lying before her. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest at the thought of it, and she had to force back the tears that now threatened at the corner of her eyes. _'He's not dead, he's alive. Tensaiga brought him back, he's not dead'_ She repeated this thought over and over again as she started to slide off the futon. Standing up to her full height, the stiffness in her joints made it difficult to move as quickly as she wanted. She had to find him, she had to see him, to know he was okay. The last of the sheet slipped from her waist, and she realized she had nothing concealing her nudity. Quickly looking around the room both for any unnoticed visitors and something to wear, her eyes settled on a large dresser on the far end of the room. She began to walk towards it, but her remaining injuries protested against the sudden movement. Her breath hitched in her throat and she began to feel light headed. Placing a slender hand on her forehead, she took in a few slow, deep breaths to stop the world from spinning. She was starting to become fully aware that she was not as recooperated as she would have liked. It did not matter though, she had to find Sesshomaru, she would make her body obey her will, atleast until she knew he was safe. Taking one last deep breath she started to move towards the dresser once more, only slowing from her initial pace slightly. She opened the ornately carved wooden doors and saw a myriad of beautiful silk kimonos in every color under the sun. In truth, the color did not matter to her, but she was drawn to a deep crimson kimono with white cherry blossoms cascading over it. The red matched her eyes perfectly, and she hastily slipped it from where it hung. Dressing as fast as her body would allow, she scanned the room for exits and spied the door closest to the futon. As she tied the white obi around her waist, she could feel Sesshomaru's aura eminating from outside. This only furthered the thunderous pounding in her heart, she hoped that she had not mistaken the aura, that it was not some cruel trick her mind was playing on her, still groggy from it's unnatural slumber. Ignoring the dizziness she felt, she quickly paced to the shoji screen and opened it.

A soft gasp escaped her throat as she took in the scenery before her. The door opened to a beautiful and expansive garden full of Cherry trees, orange trees and all manner of colorful flowers. The setting sun just above the horizon veiled everything in a soft orange hue, and the rays that shown through the thick garden danced in the slight breeze. Her mind was still swimming and she could not tell if this was real or merely another dream. She brought her bare feet to the soft earth of the trail that meandered its way through the oasis and looked to her sides. The garden stretched along the entire side of a very large house, she would dare call it a castle, it's massive dark wooden beams and traditional architecture was impressive, but nothing compared to the tranquil garden that lay before her. She tried to feel the aura of Sesshomaru she had sensed earlier, and it felt strongest to the West. She slowly moved forward, still consumed in the beauty of this place. It's soothing presence reminded her of the orange grove she had stumbled upon so long ago, this place felt so free. As her steps brought Sesshomaru's aura closer to her, she quickened her pace, stumbling slightly at the feeling of vertigo but she did not care, if she could only see him once, her mind could be at peace again. The thick canopy slowly began to open up and she ran the last few steps to the garden's edge. However beautiful the garden was, it paled in comparison to the sight that now befell her. At the edge of the oasis, was a sheer cliff, dropping off some hundred feet into the ocean below. She slowed her pace, afraid that her eagerness would disrupt the beauty of this place. The emerald ocean stretched before her as far as she could see, and she could hear the crashing of the waves so far below, their steady rhythm matched the rate of her ragged breaths. Straight ahead of her, she could see the massive orange sun sinking slowly to the horizon. The waves seemed to reach up and meet it, welcoming it with it's gentle churning. The changing hues of orange, yellow, crimson and blue blurred in the sky, making it worthy of the most beautiful sunset the world would ever see. It was almost as if such beauty was too splendid for this world. She felt a slight breeze blow, wrapping the long train of the formal kimono around her feet, and with it, it brought another scent. Sesshomaru. She turned behind her but before she completed the motion she felt strong arms ensnare her in embrace.

"You have awoken earlier than I expected, I wanted to be there when you opened your eyes for the first time." Whispered the smooth voice, she could feel his lips nearly touch her sensitive earlobe.

There was no single emotion she felt in that moment, but rather a mix of relief, joy, love...and fear. She feared turning around, feared that this was just all a dream meant to torment her further. Such beauty that this place held could not be real, but the warmth of his arms, the tickle of his breath in her ear felt entirely too real. She slowly turned herself to face him, and gazed upon the face she had longed to see for so long now. His chiseled face looked just the same she remembered it, and his amber eyes burned too brightly to be a dream. She stood there in his arms for a moment, scouring over his form, drinking in all that he was, she never wanted to go this long without seeing him again.

"Sesshomaru…" The word rolled off her tounge in little more than a whisper, but it portrayed all of her emotions.

Their eyes locked for the first time in what felt like years, and she brought her lips to his. She wanted to remember what he tasted like, what he felt like but her mind was spinning so fast that if his arms were not around her, she would have fallen. Her lips shuddered at the contact with his, and she withdrew more quickly than she wanted to. She was feeling lightheaded, paying now for pushing her body too soon. Her vision blurred briefly, distorting his beautiful face for a moment, she blinked her eyes rapidly, gradually refocusing on his face again. He must have saw her distress because the look of joy that had been in his eyes was now replaced by concern.

"You are still too weak to be up, you must rest."

She absently nodded her head, trying to concentrate on keeping her eyes open, she would not be robbed of his vision again, not when he was the only thing that could bring her peace. His muscled arms slid from her waist as he cradled her in his arms, sweeping her from the ground in one fluid motion. She wrapped her arms gratefully around his neck, nuzzling her face into his chest. She breathed in his masculine scent, he smelled of sandalwood and it intoxicated her, washing over her sense of smell like a wave. She brought her arms tighter around his neck as she reveled in his scent.

Stepping back into the room, he gently sat her down on the futon and closed the shoji screen door behind him. She sat with her hands out beside her, trying to steady her balance as he sat down beside her. She looked again into his eyes of molten gold and smiled, while silently cursing the drowsiness that was overtaking her once again.

She felt his hands gently coax her onto her back and he pulled the thin sheet up around her shoulders. His every touch, every brush of his body against hers sent waves of electricity throughout her entire being, and with it came a calming of her heart.

"I don't want to close my eyes, I only want to see you."

She was fighting with all her strength to keep her eyes transfixed on him, but they were already half lidded when she spoke, and she could not truly be sure if she saw the beginnings of a smile or not.

"When you open them again, I will be here."

Her fangs glistened in the soft glow of the room as her smile broadened. He ran his large hand over her cheek, watching as her crimson eyes became no more than slits of red.

* * *

**Yay! Kagura is awake again...or atleast she was, she certainly seems to pass out right as things are getting good, lol. The next chapter, I believe, will be more about Sessh and Kagura's thoughts after the battle with Naraku, possibly she may wake up, but I am undecided as of yet. I am finding it rather difficult to balance the Sesshomaru we all know and love, with a Sesshomaru *gasp* in love. I am trying to retain as much of his Sesshy goodness as possible, but if I start to stray, please, make your voice heard and REVIEW! (there I go again, being a review nazi, lol)**

**Probably won't update until after xmas, things are already hectic now, but I will try, if not it WILL be before new years, lol. And on that note, happy holidays and see you all next chapter!**


	13. Waking Up

**Ok my lovelies, first let me apologize for taking sooo long to update! I have been battling with the flu since Christmas and felt too under the weather to write anything. I hope you all forgive me. The future updates will not take nearly this long. I hope to have the next chapter out by next week sometime! Hope you enjoy!**

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did, I would be rich.**A gentle breeze blew in through the open window, bringing the smell of flowers that so closely matched Kagura's scent. His long silver hair swayed gently in the chair that he was sitting in beside her bed. It had been a full day that he had kept his watch over her, and he began to grow restless but he would continue his vigil. There were many things he would much rather be doing now, training was at the top of his list but he would honor her simple request of him being the first thing she saw when she awoke. Sesshomaru's gaze turned to the sleeping wind sorceress. Her expression was calm and tranquil, a slight smile gracing the corners of her mouth. It was such a change from how she used to sleep, plagued by nightmares of her former master. He would often watch her on those nights when she had first came to him. At the time, he was not concerned with what she had such frightening dreams about, but that had quickly changed. Shortly he came to realize that everytime she made an unpleasant noise or turned violently in her sleep, his attention would automatically be centered on her. He wished he could take those dreams away from her, so that she would not have to suffer anymore.

* * *

Sesshomaru shifted his position in his chair and reclined back, resting his hands in the sleeves of his haori. She was so fragile back then, all but destroyed by Naraku's incessant beatings. He remembered the first time he had seen her cry, the day he had saved her. It had struck a nerve within him. Kagura was so proud, so strong whenever he had encountered her before then, but that day she was so pitiful. He supposed that pity was what had made him decide she could come with him. It was a shock to him, normally he found weakness disgusting, but the formally proud Kagura reduced to a state of begging for her life had incited an emotion he had not felt in a very long time. He pitied her, pitied that she had been reduced to this by some disgusting half demon scum. However, his pity was soon replaced by admiration. Once she was away from Naraku, her strength returned. He realized how hard it must have been for such an independent spirit such as herself to be controlled by someone. A lesser demon would have simply given up, but Kagura continued to fight for her freedom until the last moment. She had never given up hope on attaining that which she so strongly desired. That is the root of her strength, she would never give up, she was too strong.

It was that strength that drew him to her, that passion she held that he could not get out of his head. He still did not fully understand how she had managed to break him as she did, where no one else was able to. At first he had dismissed his feelings for her as simple lust, but the more time that went on, the more he realized it was something more. She had incited feelings in him that he once scorned his father for, that he once considered a weakness. To care about another so deeply was something he had never thought he was capable of. Sure, he did care for Rin, but she was different, she was helpless and needed to be cared for. Kagura was a strong, independent woman who needed no one. In the past he had lusted for other female demons, but what he felt for Kagura was different, stronger and it had disturbed him greatly. On those nights when he was left alone with his thoughts, they often drifted back to his father. The words echoed from Tensaiga haunted him, placing thoughts in his head that never ceased to plague him. His great father had met his end by caring for a woman, a human no less. That weakness that he had once dispised in his father was now starting to overcome him. Truth be told, as he looked back on it now, it was not such a painful transition, to open his heart to another. Kagura had made it effortless to care about her, it just felt so natural. Soon, he had found that she consumed all of his thoughts. He had fought in vain to overcome this weakness, but that night in the field of flowers cemented his feelings for her and he could fight them no longer. He would gladly take her as a mate in that moment and have eyes for no other. He knew that she would always be faithful and would provide him strong heirs, but it was more than that. He knew she could complete the part of him that was missing. She complimented him in every way and from that night on, he had no regrets for the feelings he had for her.

He looked at her ebony locks spilling over her face and leaned up to brush them from her eyes. He enjoyed watching her, hearing her now steady breaths and her rhythmic heartbeat. Her wounds had all but healed and he was relieved. He wanted no reminders of Naraku on her. The thought of that despicable half demon disgusted him. He had used his feelings for Kagura to set a trap, and Sesshomaru had paid the ultimate price for it. He know understood why his father said that caring about someone makes you stronger. One must become stronger, one must be able to protect those you cared about, because if danger ever fell to them, it would fall to you to protect them. His hands tensed as he remembered the look upon Kagura's face right before Naraku had killed him. Although he was still unnerved by the fact that he had been bested in battle, he did not regret the reason it happened. He had been able to save Kagura from Naraku's fatal blow, even if it had cost him the ultimate price. He now understood the reasons behind what his father did that night, and he was working towards forgiveness. Though he was still bitter that his father had been taken from him over some human wench and their half breed son, he did not object so strongly as to why he did it anymore.

A sigh escaped his lips and he heard a light knock at the shoji screen doorway.

"Enter" he called to Mamoru. He had recognized his scent for a few moments now. The elder tiger demon gently slid the screen open and stepped into the room.

"My lord, I was merely coming to see if you wanted to train today." He said, bowing his head slightly to Sesshomaru.

"Not today Mamoru" came the short reply.

Mamoru nodded his head quickly and turned his gaze to Kagura. "How is Lady Kagura doing?"

Sesshomaru followed his gaze and let go a silent sigh. "She has healed, but she is still recovering. It will not take long for her to regain her strength."

The seasoned general nodded his head and smiled. "She is strong indeed my lord. Your father would be proud of your choice as well."

Sesshomaru regarded him but said nothing. His father was still a sensitive subject for him. He had always aspired to be like his father when he was young, but over the years that had changed. He sought to surpass his father the older he became. The great Inu No Taisho was a name that had come to be feared and respected throughout the land, not merely in the Western lands. He would become greater than his father, expand his already vast empire and supersede him in strength. That was his goal for his whole life, and it remained to this day.

"I remember how your father would always put off finding you a mate." Mamoru said, snapping Sesshomaru out of his thoughts. "He would always say to me 'When my son is ready for a mate, he will find one that will surpass any that I could choose for him.' I suppose the old dog was right."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow to him, but remained silent still. Mamoru and his father had always been close. When Sesshomaru was growing up he regarded him less like a general and more like an uncle. After his father had met his end, it was left to Mamoru to make sure Sesshomaru assumed his rightful place, but after his father died, he was not at the castle long enough to ever take on that position. Mamoru then had been left to care for the Western lands in Sesshomaru's place, merely keeping the throne until Sesshomaru finally returned to rule in his place.

"My father was right on many things." Sesshomaru responded, thinking back to the words he had heard from Tensaiga. He did not elaborate, but merely turned his gaze to the open window beside him.

Mamoru just flashed the demon lord a worn smile and said simply "Until tomorrow then, my lord." He quietly turned on his heels and slid the door shut behind him.

Sesshomaru's gaze drifted back to the now shut shoji screen and he repositioned himself again. Being at his father's castle had conjured up many old memories. Memories he thought he had forgotten until now. He had never been one to reflect that heavily on the past. There was no sense in thinking about that which was already done, but this place held many ghosts of his past.

Kagura shifted in her sleep and he could see her eyelids twitch slightly. An arm shot up from her side and gently rubbed across her eyes, before he saw one scarlet orb peer out at him.

Instinctively her eyes went to him and a smile graced her features. "You actually waited for me."

Sesshomaru straightened himself in his chair "It was your wish."

She gently raised herself up from the bed and stretched her body out. A confused look ran across her features as she realized she was no longer in pain. Excitedly she peeled the remaining layers of bandages off to reveal merely a small gash was now where a gaping hole had been only the other day.

Sesshomaru regarded her with relief in his eyes "You have healed quickly."

"Yeah, I guess that's another perk about my new strength." She regarded him with a soft look in her eyes and her smile dropped.

"I am sorry about what happened Sesshomaru."

She did not need to explain what she was apologizing for, he knew she was referring to the incident with Naraku.

"There is no need to apologize Kagura. There is no sense dwelling on an event in the past, you must move forward from it."

She nodded slightly, trying to take in his advice, but a gnawing guilt still remained in her stomach.

He stood up from the chair that he was sitting in and began to walk towards the door. "I am going to retrieve Rin and Jaken. I shall return shortly."

Kagura turned on the bed and stared at his back. "I want to come with you. This castle air is stifling, I would like some fresh air and a change of scenery."

"No, you must stay here and rest. You are still weak even though your injuries have healed."

She let a small smirk display on her face "Well it's not like we are going to get in any battles along the way. We would merely be going to get Rin."

Sesshomaru let an inward sigh go and resigned himself to her. Though Kagura had changed a great deal, she was still very willful and would not take no for an answer.

"Very well. Get dressed and meet me in front of the castle." He slid the shoji screen open and walked out of the room, leaving her to her privacy.

She smiled to herself. Although she had been asleep since they had gotten here, she still longed to not be cooped up inside the castle while he was out. Slowly she rose herself from the bed, he smile growing wider as the expected pain never came. The red silk kimono she was wearing was hopelessly wrinkled so she walked over to the bureau in the corner and slid the door open. The exquisite color and textures of the kimonos residing inside it pleased her, and she ran her clawed fingers over them, stopping on a pink kimono with white designs that mimicked the ones on Sesshomaru's haori. She slipped the garment out of the bureau and tossed it onto the futon at her side. She slowly peeled off the wrinkled fabric and let it pool at her feet. Her hands went up to her shoulders and she slid them over her smooth arms, now devoid of any evidence of the battle with Naraku. Good, she thought, she wanted no evidence of him on her body anymore. Quickly walking over to where the new kimono lay, she slid it over her shoulders and hurriedly straightened her hair, just as two handmaidens rushed into the room.

Kagura turned, surprised at the intrusion. "Can I help you?" She said, her tone slightly aggravated.

The taller girl bowed deeply and spoke with a soft voice. "My lady, we came to assist you."

Kagura furrowed her brows at the comment. She needed no help getting dressed, she had managed perfectly fine every other day of her life. "That will not be necessary. You can go, I am finished."

The two young demons bowed to her once again and hastily made their exit. Kagura shook her head slightly and followed them out the door. Once out in the hallway she stood for a moment taking in the sight that befell her. The corridor seemed to stretch for miles in either direction, and she realized she had no idea where she was. She looked down the hallway for the two servants, but saw them quickly tuck into a door down the hall and disappear from sight.

_Great, now how am I supposed to find my way out of here?_ Her bare feet made hardly a sound on the cold wooden floor as she trekked down the expansive hallway. She gazed all around her, looking at the ornate carvings on the wood and the flickering lamps that illuminated the already well lit hallway. She was so caught up in her gazing, that she did not notice Mamoru until she ran right into him. Staggering back slightly, she put her hand over her chest and brought her eyes to the worn features of the tiger demon.

"Excuse me, I was not watching where I was going."

Mamoru looked at her and let out a chuckle. "It is quite alright my lady, the castle can be intimidating at first glance" he responded, picking up on the confusion in her scent.

Kagura nodded and shifted her weight to an upright position. This demon seemed to be someone of importance, unlike the two girls she had met earlier. His armor resembled that of Sesshomaru's and he wore a regal green haori.

"My name is Mamoru Lady Kagura. I am the general of the Western lands. Allow me to escort you where you need to go."

Kagura smiled at the welcome assistance. "Thank you, I don't think I would be able to figure this place out on my own. Sesshomaru wants me to meet him at the front of the castle."

Mamoru nodded and flashed her a toothy grin as he started to walk down the hallway. "It is not as bad as one would think. The sleeping quarters are on this hallway and up ahead is the main atrium. The library is in the western wing and the kitchen is in the eastern building. Don't worry, you will get it soon enough."

Kagura nodded once again and followed him down the hallway, her eyes growing large as the corridor opened up into a room with a vast ceiling and exposed woodwork.

"This is the main room of the castle." Mamoru said, sweeping his hand across his chest.

"Wow, I can tell." Kagura said, her head swiveling in every direction, taking in the beauty of the space. The room was well lit with the light from the shoji screen walls spilling inside, covering everything in it's bright warmth. There was a long table in the middle of the room, surrounded by plush cushions and to the side of it was a massive fireplace, encased in stone. She walked slowly away from Mamoru's side and let her gaze fall to every corner of the room. Sesshomaru's castle was truly magnificent, it was every bit as regal as he was.

"If you go out the door, you will be at the front of the castle, and my lord will surely be waiting on you." Mamoru's words snapped her out of her awe and she stopped and turned to him.

"Thank you for helping me, it is much appreciated."

"It was my pleasure, my lady. If there is anything else you may need, I am here to be of assistance."

Kagura bowed her head and began to walk to the heavy wooden door at the head of the room and opened it slowly, it's weight causing her to put more effort into the task than she originally planned. As it creaked open the warm sunlight of spring cascaded onto her face and she could smell the fresh air mixed with the scent of sakura blossoms. Sesshomaru stood in the middle of the grand courtyard, his back to her. She quickly walked down the stairs as he turned to face her.

"Are you ready to depart?"

She smiled at him. "Yeah, but I would have never found you if it wasn't for Mamoru." Sesshomaru furrowed his brows slightly and nodded to her. She walked up beside him and went to pluck a feather from her hair, but felt Sesshomaru's firm grip surround her wrist.

She turned to look at him but he did not say a word. Suddenly she felt the ground disappear beneath her and then a pair of strong arms surround her waist. She looked at Sesshomaru with a smile on her face and leaned further into his embrace, feeling his muscular form below his thin haori.

"This was unexpected. You know I can fly." She said jokingly.

"Do you object?" Came his reply, his eyes looking into hers. She thought she saw a little bit of mischief in them, but she could not be sure. She said nothing, and settled into his embrace further.

* * *

They flew for nearly an hour before a small village came into view in the distance.

"Well, I imagine we will receive quite a reception. Last your brother and his friends knew, you were dead and I might as well have been."

She felt Sesshomaru stiffen at her comment, and realized he was still uncomfortable at the fact that he had been slain. As the village came closer into view, she felt her heart quicken its pace, she was not looking forward to talking to Inuyasha. She really had no idea what to say to him, she had been so mean the last time they had met, and she could not forget the pain she saw in his eyes when he looked at Sesshomaru. She wanted to say something to Sesshomaru about it, but she did not know what to say. Rushing to break the silence, she blurted out the first thought that came to mind.

"Perhaps you and Inuyasha should try and make peace. He does share your blood afterall."

Sesshomaru flashed her a stern look and she cringed slightly.

"Don't be mad, I am merely suggesting. I know that I never really had siblings, but it seems kind of tragic that you two hate each other so much. Plus you have no reason to fight anymore, your Bakusaiga is more powerful than the Tetsusaiga."

Sesshomaru still did not say anything to her comments and she decided to hold her tongue. Perhaps the bad blood ran too deep between them.

A few moments passed and Sesshomaru finally spoke. "My hatred for Inuyasha runs deeper than a sword. There are some things that cannot be resolved so easily."

Kagura sighed. She was not the biggest fan of Inuyasha either, but there must be something he felt for his older half brother, his eyes did not lie that day.

"I think you should still consider it. You know, I think he does care about you."

Sesshomaru merely let a low growl escape his throat, signaling that he had had enough of the conversation. It was still a very sensitive subject for him after all.

The village was just in front of them now, and she could make out the red of Inuyasha's haori from the air. Slowly Sesshomaru descended until her feet touched the earth, releasing his grip from her. As she turned her gaze in front of her, she saw the shocked expressions of Inuyasha and his friends settle onto them.

"What the hell?" Was all she heard escape Inuyasha's lips.

* * *

**Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger guys, but if I got into the dialogue with IY and friends, this chapter would just become entirely too long! Rest assured, all the details will be revealed in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed!**


	14. Seeing Ghosts

**Ok my lovelies here is the next chapter! First off, I do want to apologize (once again) for taking so long on this chapter. So far, 2011 hates me! First I got sick as a dog, then my hard drive crashed, erasing everything I had on it, including my nearly finished Sesshomaru and OC story I planned to post! So, that delays my plans considerably, but for those who are interested, I am going to get a few chapters re-written and post them on my Deviant Art account InuGirl85. Luckily, this story was backed up onto ! But I suppose there is a bright side to this because now I will double and triple back up my stuff. Also, due to my tech issues, this chapter has been re-written from the original. Truth be told, it is not as good as the original although all elements are still there, Hope you like it anyways! Well, enough of my blabbing, off to reading! **

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did I would be rich!**Inuyasha pulled the worn curtain back on the house that he and Kagome shared. He had sensed a demonic aura approaching the village rather quickly, but it was still a ways off. Ever since Naraku had been defeated the number of demons that threatened the village had become less and less. He had settled into an easy existence with Kagome, and she would spend most of her time here, but she had recently gone home. She was due to come back today, and he was about to make his way to the bone eater's well when he had sensed this demonic aura.

* * *

It was still too far off for his half demon senses to make out how strong it was, but it was definitely there. He craned his head up to look at the pastel blue sky, whatever it was, it was approaching fast. Reflexively, his hand went down and griped the worn hilt of Tetsusaiga as he strained his senses to make out what was coming. The cool autumn wind that was blowing and it brought a familiar scent to his nose. His amber eyes widened as he sucked in a breath: Sesshomaru. As he pushed his senses to their limits he felt another aura, and it felt like…like Kagura's! The half demon shook his head and composed himself. He must be losing his touch in this time of peace, he had seen his brother struck down by Naraku and when they had left Kagura was close to death as well. It was a cruel trick his senses were playing on him, that was the only explanation. Still, he took his hand off of Tetsusaiga and watched the sky for whatever was coming.

Soon, he saw it. The faint figures clad in white and pink against the azure sky. He saw a glimmer of silver locks, shimmering in the mid day sun and there was no mistaking it. Sesshomaru was flying on his cloud with Kagura in his arms, his white haori was blowing in the wind and silver hair encased them both. Inuyasha felt his heart beat in his chest, and it's quick rhythm surprised him. Surely the look on his face was one of pure shock, like he had seen a ghost, and for all intents and purposes he had. He narrowed his eyes as his brother landed before him, the white wisp of cloud dissolving around his feet as they touched the red clay of the earth.

"What the hell?" The rough tone of his response disguised any surprise he might have been feeling.

Sesshomaru's amber orbs studied him, and Kagura just sent her trademark smirk in his direction.

"Where are Rin and Jaken? I have come to retrieve them." Sesshomaru replied, ignoring his half brothers comment as well as the look on his face.

"That's all you have to say? Last time we saw you, you were dead! Naraku killed you so how are you here now?" Inuyasha pulled his lips back into a tight sneer, and stiffened his joints. He had a lot of questions he wanted answered, and he was determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Am I to understand you are not pleased that I am alive?" Sesshomaru replied with a smoothness that made Inuyasha's skin prickle in annoyance.

"Keh! Answer the question Sesshomaru! I know what I saw that day and I know what I am seeing now."

Before he could answer, Kagura stepped forward from beside him, trying to prevent this from turning into a fight. "Is it really not obvious to you Inuyasha? The Tensaiga saved your brother." She turned her gaze back to Sesshomaru and he made no move to stop her.

"Don't be stupid! Sesshomaru is the only one who can wield Tensaiga and he was dead." The last word hung in the air. Although he had accepted the fact that his brother had been slain, it was still a subject he did not like bringing up. As much as he hated to admit it, when he had seen his brother lying on the ground so lifeless and pale, it had pulled at something deep within him. He was hesitant to even put a name to the emotion, but there was no denying it.

Kagura heard a low growl emanating from Sesshomaru as the words left Inuyasha's mouth. She held her hand up and gently touched his arm through the thin sleeve of his haori and cast him a reassuring look. He was not pleased at the tone in Inuyasha's voice, and truth be told, neither was she. But out of the three of them, she was most likely the only one that could hold a civil conversation with either of the brothers.

She turned her crimson orbs back to Inuyasha. His posture looked like he was ready to attack, but she could sense in his aura that there was also a glimmer of relief. She was sure Sesshomaru could feel it too. So she had not been wrong, there was something that Inuyasha felt for his half brother. But if this conversation was any indication of how the brothers would react with each other, it would be an impossible task to get them to admit it to the other. With an inward sigh she pushed the thought from her mind and decided she would leave it up to them when or if they would ever put their hatred for one another aside.

"I wielded the Tensaiga" She finally replied after a few moments.

Inuyasha studied her, the sneer on his face losing some of it's conviction as he did so. "So you brought him back? But how? Sesshomaru is the only one who can use it."

Kagura shrugged her shoulders and let out a deep sigh. "I don't know, but that is not the point. He's alive now, I would think you would atleast be relieved by that fact." She said, recalling the look once more that she saw in his eyes that day.

Before Inuyasha could answer, he heard a voice in the distance calling his name. All three pairs of eyes turned to the hill that led out of the village and to the bone eater's well. Kagome stood there, her yellow bag slung over her shoulders and a look of surprise gracing her features. Beside her Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Rin and Jaken stood with an equally shocked look on their faces. Sesshomaru's senses immediately smelled the scent of salt in the air and as he focused on his young ward, he could see her eyes rippling with moisture.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lady Kagura!" Came the small voice of Rin through the air, and she starting rushing towards them, with Jaken in tow. As she got closer the tears that were falling freely from her eyes caught in the wind and shimmered like small diamonds in the sunlight. She quickly closed the remaining distance between them and grabbed on to Sesshomaru's legs with such force that she nearly caused him to lose balance. In a rare show of affection, Sesshomaru reached down and patted the girl on the head, his long fingers nearly encasing her entire skull. She looked up at him and he could see the stains on her cheeks from where the tears had fallen, but her eyes were clear now, only shining in adoration of her Lord.

"Rin, I trusted you have fared well?"

She nodded her head fiercely as she replied. "Oh yes my lord! Rin and Shippo have been playing together everyday! And Kagome has been showing Rin different plants that can be used for medicine."

He gave her a faint nod and her eyes went to the form of Kagura. Before she knew it, Kagura was nearly bowled over as well by the child squeezing on her legs. She gave a genuine smile to the girl, and lowered herself to the ground to return the embrace. When she pulled back, she watched as Rin looked over her with a quiet contemplation.

"What is it Rin?" Kagura asked as she watched the child's eyes roam over her frame.

Rin looked up at her and she could see her eyes had turned glassy again. "Rin does not understand Lady Kagura. Kagome told Rin that you and Lord Sesshomaru had…well, that…" The moisture in her eyes now leaked down to her cheeks in thin streams, as she struggled to say the word.

Kagura ran her clawed fingers gently over the girls cheeks and wiped the tears away. "It's okay Rin. Lord Sesshomaru and I are fine now, so no more tears okay?" A warm smile crossed her features as she rose up from the ground. Rin looked up at her, and her eyes were returning to their normal joyous look.

"Yes Lady Kagura!"

Jaken had finally caught up to Rin, and he was breathing heavily as he stopped in front of Sesshomaru. "Lord…Sesshomaru!" He cried in between breaths, before taking a moment to compose himself. "I am so relieved…you are alive! That foolish woman told us that you had fallen in battle! I could not believe it my lord! The great Lord Sesshomaru could not have fallen to one as lowly as Nar…"

"Jaken" Sesshomaru admonished, his golden eyes looking at his retainer with a look that quieted him immediately. He flung himself into the dirt, murmuring about forgiveness and voicing his relief. Sesshomaru turned from the spectacle at his feet and saw the rest of the group arriving.

Kagome walked up to the two demons and smiled a genuine smile. She had been the one to tell Rin and Jaken what had happened. If she had left it up to Inuyasha, she knew he would not be as delicate as she would in delivering the news, as he would surely disclose all details that they did not need to know. Rin had been nearly inconsolable for the first couple of days, she did nothing but cry in the hut and refused to eat anything. Despite Kagome's best efforts, nothing she did seemed to rouse the girl from her mourning. Until one day she heard laughter from inside the hut, and upon entering she saw Shippo showing Rin some of his fox magic. Ever since that day the two had been inseparable. It warmed Kagome's heart to see them playing together, Shippo had done more for Rin than any of them could.

"Sesshomaru! Kagura! I'm so glad you two are okay! But…what happened? I don't understand."

Sesshomaru cast her a slightly annoyed look. He was tired of all the questions. He merely came here to retrieve Rin and Jaken and leave, but his annoying half brother and his gang were proving to be more frustrating than he had anticipated. He looked over at Kagura who gave him a knowing look, as she took over the conversation, only giving out as few details as possible.

"Tensaiga saved him. And after several days of rest, I had recovered."

Kagome nodded her head, although Kagura could tell she would not be satisfied with this answer, she did not ask anymore questions. Atleast one of Inuyasha's friends had some sense.

"Well since you are here, why don't you stay for lunch? I brought some food with me this time and there is more than enough for you guys!" She said, leaving out the details of where exactly she had been. As far as she knew, neither one of them knew about her trips through the well, and although she didn't mind them knowing, she did not feel like going through the story and all the inevitable questions that would arise.

She saw that the annoyed look on Sesshomaru's features did not change and she decided to sweeten the deal. "Plus, I think Rin and Shippo would like to have a little more time to play together." She knew that Sesshomaru had a soft spot for the girl, and he would not deny her.

Upon hearing her name mentioned, Rin straightened up and turned to Sesshomaru. "Oh please my lord, Shippo and I were in the middle of playing tag before Kagome arrived."

_Bingo_ thought Kagome. There were still a lot of questions she wanted answered, and she knew if she tried hard enough she could get them out of Kagura if she was by herself.

Sesshomaru let out a silent sigh. This was turning into more of an inconvenience than he had originally planned, but he did not want to deny Rin.

He nodded his head in approval, as Rin let out a squeal of joy and ran off with the fox kit.

"Good, it's settled. I'll go in and start to cook." Said Kagome, clapping her hands together.

* * *

Lunch was eaten in relative silence, except for the occasional compliments from Kagura about Kagome's "ninja food" as Inuyasha had referred to it. Sesshomaru did not join them, stating that he did not eat human food, and was reclining in a tree outside of their hut. When dinner was finished, Sango and Miroku took back off to their hut and Kagura was getting Rin ready to leave. Seeing her chance, Kagome casually looked over to Kagura.

"Hey Kagura, would you like to come take a dip in the hot springs with me? They work wonders for relaxing!"

Kagura cast a questioning look at the girl but did not reply. Although a dip in the hot springs did sound wonderful, she knew Sesshomaru had had his fill of Inuyasha and his friends and would not be too pleased if she asked to stay longer.

Once again, Kagome used Rin in her plans. "Say Rin, how about you and Shippo go gather some flowers for Sesshomaru and Kagura?"

Rin looked up at Kagura with a smile, and asked "Oh please lady Kagura?"

Kagura sighed, she could not deny Rin just as much as Sesshomaru could not, but she knew she would be the one in trouble if she told her yes. However, Kagome's insistence at them staying for longer had her interest peaked, the girl was planning something and she was curious.

"You must go ask Lord Sesshomaru Rin, but don't be disappointed if he says no."

Rin nodded her head and ran outside. Kagura tilted her ear towards the entrance of the hut and could only hear a squeal of delight, but that was enough for her to confirm that Rin had gotten what she wanted. She turned back to Kagome who retreated into the room on the side of the hut and came back with two small towels for them. Obviously Rin's squeal of delight was so loud she didn't need enhanced hearing to know that Sesshomaru said yes.

Kagome gave her a smile and tucked the towels under her arms. "Are you ready to go?"

Kagura nodded her head yes and followed her out of the hut. Sesshomaru was still sitting on the limb of the tree outside of the hut. She looked up at him and he quickly jumped off the limb and landed on the earth. She walked over to him, and could sense the annoyance coming off of him in waves. She gently put her hand on his sleeve and ran it up to his shoulder. She could feel him shudder slightly under her touch and she cast him a wicked grin.

She spoke low so no one else could hear "I know you are annoyed my mate, but I will make sure all your tensions are taken care of thoroughly when we arrive back at the castle." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on his cheekbone.

"Kagome is wanting to go to the hot springs. She has me curious as to her intentions. We will not be gone long."

"Very well. As soon as you return we are leaving with no further delays."

She nodded her head in acceptance and removed her hand from his shoulder. "It should give you two time to talk" She said, and nodded slightly to where Inuyasha was standing. His hands were folded in the sleeves of his haori and he was staring at the two demons with an indiscernible look on his face. She heard an almost inaudible sigh escape Sesshomaru's lips.

"I have nothing to say to my half breed brother."

She smiled up at him "I know, but he may have something to say to you." Her knowing look faded as she turned and walked with Kagome, disappearing in the woods.

* * *

"Oh this feels wonderful!" Kagome said as she sunk down deeper into the steamy water. She brought her hands up to her shoulders and started to rub them in an effort to get the stiffness out. Across from her sat Kagura, her head reclining on the edge of the spring and her eyes were closed. The thick steam rose out of the water and danced in the air, making her image blur and shift.

So far she had been silent, but Kagome was about to change that. She wanted to ask about a lot of things, but she knew Kagura could be just as unwilling to talk as Sesshomaru at times. She had to bring it up the right way.

"Rin and Shippo seem to have become really good friends. I hope when you guys leave, you'll let her come back and play with him sometime"

Kagura slowly rose her head up from the rocky edge of the spring and looked at Kagome. "I am sure if Rin asks, we would come back. It's good that she has found someone to play with besides Jaken."

Kagome let out a soft chuckle, "Yeah, he doesn't really seem like the playmate type."

A smile crept across Kagura's face as the images of Rin forcing Jaken to play games with her flooded into her mind. The toad never was happy about playing with Rin, but he did it anyways in fear of Sesshomaru's favor for the girl.

"Seems like he needs someone to lighten him up. While they were here he was nothing but a big grump" Kagome continued, edging closer to the real point of her conversation.

Kagura noted her attempts at small talk, and decided she would humor the girl for a little longer. She was very interested in what Kagome wanted time alone with her so bad. She had an idea, but she waited for Kagome to give herself away.

"That's not surprising. Sometimes I wonder why Sesshomaru keeps him around at all."

Kagome shifted her position in the water, reclining back and resting her head on the natural lip that formed around the hot springs. She didn't need to waste much more time, she had Kagura talking atleast so maybe she had warmed up enough to answer her questions.

"So Kagura, what happened after we left the battle with Naraku? I know that you said Tensaiga saved Sesshomaru, but I still don't get it."

There it was, that was the reason Kagome had wanted to have her alone. From the moment Kagome was told what happened, she could see in her eye the curiosity that lingered. Kagura briefly thought of how much she should tell the girl, and resigned herself to tell only the most pertinent details.

"I was able to wield the Tensaiga."

Kagome sat up from her reclined position, interested in how far she would be able to get with the details.

"But how? Is it because you are a full demon or something else?" She paused for a moment, "But even demon blood is not enough to wield the Tensaiga, it's an heirloom from his father, intended for Sesshomaru."

Kagura let an audible sigh escape her lips and sat up in the water, her unbound hair shimmering with moisture. This girl was far too curious, and far too determined for her own good.

"I don't know, but Sesshomaru's father appeared and told me how to use it. As far as why I was able to use it, I am still questioning that myself."

"Sesshomaru's father? Wow, that's something! Maybe it has something to do with your new powers?" Suggested Kagome, smoothing the wrinkled tips of her fingers over each other. "I saw how strong you have become Kagura, we all did."

Kagura slowly started forming ideas in her head "Yes, it is a welcome side effect" she paused before continuing. Her and Sesshomaru's intimacies was not something she wanted to discuss, but the girl had brought up an interesting point she had never considered. If she gained her powers from Sesshomaru's blood, would that also grant her the ability to wield Tensaiga? Was that the real reason, because his blood flowed through her veins?

A curious look was on Kagome's face as she waited anxiously for the demoness to continue. As she looked across the thin curtain of steam, she could see a look of quiet contemplation on Kagura's face.

Meeting Kagome's stare, Kagura quickly backtracked her words "I mean, when demons become mates, their strength is often shared, that must be the reason" she lied. Although the idea did make sense, she would not rush off and tell Kagome anything until she was sure of it. She longed to ask Sesshomaru about it, but she knew that event was not something he liked to think of. So for now, she was left on her own to figure this out.

"Oh, well it's not like that for me and Inuyasha. I guess it is different for half demons." Kagome said with a frown. There was something else Kagura was keeping from her, she knew, but she decided not to press her luck. The demoness had already disclosed more to her than she had originally thought she would. And finding out her and Sesshomaru were mates was something she had wondered about for awhile, and was another reason she wanted to talk to the wind demoness.

Kagura nodded her head absently at the remark and looked up at the darkening sky. The sun was nearly touching the horizon and she was sure Sesshomaru had been ready to go hours ago.

"Well, I think it is time for us to go back. I am surprised Inuyasha and Sesshomaru have not killed each other yet" said Kagura with a grim smile.

"True" said Kagome. "I wish they would get over their whole hating each other thing, it's so childish."

* * *

After Kagome and Kagura had left for the hot springs Inuyasha stood there staring at his half brother reclining on a tree limb comfortably, as if he did not care that Inuyasha was there. After several silent minutes Sesshomaru's smooth voice echoed from the tree.

"Do you intend to stare at me all day Inuyasha?"

"Keh. You know we weren't finished talking earlier, I still want to know just how the hell Kagura was able to wield the Tensaiga."

Turning his head to the half demon, Sesshomaru opened his eyes and stared over him. Inuyasha was so bothersome, it was no wonder why he stayed as far away from his as he could. The half demon would not let things go, and this was obviously one of them.

"Why are you so concerned Inuyasha? The reasons behind it are not important, merely the result." As he spoke the words he thought on how Kagura was able to wield the sword. During the days that Kagura had been asleep he had traveled to Totosai's cave and had asked the smith the same question his half brother asked now. According to the old man, Kagura was able to wield the sword because some of his blood ran through her. His father's swords can only be wielded by those who share his blood, and that was the only answer the sword smith could come up with. He had not shared this information with Kagura, and would wait for her to ask about it, as he knew she would.

"Like hell they aren't important! You were _dead_ Sesshomaru! And you were the only one who could have wielded the Tensaiga. I think more than anyone as your brother I deserve an explanation!"

"Half brother" Sesshomaru promptly corrected.

Inuyasha shoved his hands deeper into his haori sleeves and turned his head away with a sigh "Yeah, half brother."

The pair stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Sesshomaru studied his half brother, and noted his irritated stance. Was Inuyasha actually concerned for him? He reflected back on the conversation him and Kagura had before arriving, she had also mentioned him caring. Either way, it was not something he was willing to discuss or even consider at the moment. Inuyasha grated on his nerves while he was in his presence, and this uneasy "truce" they had was all he was willing to oblige at the moment. Fortunalty, he was saved from carrying on the conversation as he sensed Kagura approaching.

He closed his eyes and sighed loud enough for the half demon to hear. "Inuyasha, Kagura is my mate and as such she shares my powers, which enabled her to wield the Tensaiga." He would not disclose the whole truth to Inuyasha, but if he truly wanted an explanation that was all he was getting.

"Your mate? Since when?" Cried out Inuyasha. He knew there had to be some sort of relationship between his brother and the wind witch, but he had never thought Sesshomaru would take Kagura as a mate. He found it hard to believe the bastard cared for anyone but himself, much less cared enough to make her his mate.

Sesshomaru cast him an annoyed glance and moved to where Kagura was approaching. Inuyasha let the newly learned information sink in. If Sesshomaru had chosen Kagura as a mate, he did not want to get into the details with Sesshomaru, like he would tell him anyways. But the fact that he supplied him an explanation as to why she was able to wield Tensaiga at all surprised him. Kagome's sing song voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he slowly walked towards where she was standing.

* * *

**Okay well hopefully I did not disappoint! If you liked it please review! It only takes a couple of seconds and I would love you forever! =) Also, sorry about the messed up format in the beginning of the chapter, stupid document manager! It hates me too, sigh...**

**Anyways, I am still unsure as to whether I want Inuyasha and Sesshomaru to try and resolve their differences of if I am comfortable with their truce. As it stands right now, I don't believe I will touch on that issue too much, but hey, things can change. This should be the last of the kind of transitional chapters, I wanted all the loose ends tied up before I continued with the story. So that means an action packed next chapter! See ya then!**


	15. Troubled Horizon

**Hello my lovelies, I am back again with another chapter! This one took me longer than expected, I had planned to originally combine this chapter and the next into one, but it just became ridiculously too long. But the good news about that is I will have the next chapter up MUCH sooner than this one. I hope you like this chapter, it took me forever to write, I must have scrapped atleast 4 drafts before I settled on this one. Anyways, enough of my babbling, on to the story! :D**

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did, I would be rich!**"The Western lands will fall if we allow this! Join with me now and stop this abomination before it happens!"

* * *

The mysterious shrouded figure's voice rang over the frightened villagers, causing some of them to recoil in shock at the message he was delivering. A mob of them had gathered at the edge of the village, their faces morphing and changing in the light of the torches they possessed on this moonless night. Tatsuo stared out at the sea of faces, fear and apprehension clutching them. He had come to this village to recruit more soldiers to his cause, but this was one of the few that was home to only humans. These weak, vile creatures only concerned with themselves and their short life spans would likely prove to be a hindrance instead of an asset. Still, in order to be successful, he must reap any resources the Western lands had to offer.

One of the bigger men from the crowd stepped forward. His face still told of his trepidation. He tried to hide it in his voice, but the smell of terror exuded off of him in waves.

"Why should we join your cause? The Western lands are our home, what you are talking about is treason! This is a fool's errand!" The man set his jaw and waited for the reply from the winged demon.

Tatsuo stared at this foolish mortal, a play of disgust coming over his features. Surely it would be a shame to lose this one, if he had the courage to stand up to a demon, then he surely would have courage on the battlefield. Then again his loyalty would prevent him from truly ever becoming devout to the cause. A toothy grin crossed Tatsuo's face as he spoke to the foolhardy man.

"Because my friend, you must consider what is truly important to you at this moment. The Western lands or your own self preservation."

As the last words rolled off his tongue, Tatsuo took to the air, spreading his leathery wings in a terrible show of power. He soared into the air until the humans could no longer see him with their weak vision. The demon that had stood beside him let a smirk cross over his face a mere second before Tatsuo's form reappeared again. A spray of blood surged out over the crowd. Some of them ran, others just stared at the now headless body of the outspoken human, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The body stood upright for a moment, as if it was trying to fight against the inevitable pull of death, but then collapsed onto the ground with a sickening thud, spilling blood into the dry earth. The head of the once brave man lay a few feet away, the look on his face was one mixed with sheer shock and agony, an eternal testament to his last moments.

Tatsuo took his place beside the large group of demons once more and tucked his mahogany wings behind him as he observed the mob before him. The humans smelled of panic and he quickly realized that this village of humans would serve no use to him. Perhaps the only one worthy of his attention was now dead at his feet. With the only one willing to stand up to the invaders gone, the humans were slowly realizing the gravity of the situation.

Tatsuo gave an evil sneer, the light from the torches causing his fangs to glitter dangerously, when he spoke his tone was menacingly soft. "If there is no one here with enough courage to join us, then you are useless to me." He turned to the boar demon next to him "Kill them all and burn the village." The other demon huffed in agreement and brandished his massive spear. With a nod of Tatsuo's head, the demons spewed forth, leaving pools of blood and the smell of death in their wake.

* * *

Kagura gazed out over the cliff, the endless azure of the ocean was before her and the salty smell of the breeze wrapped around her. The sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks so far below intermingled with Rin and Jaken's voices as they played behind her. A small smile came to her face as she remembered the first time she had laid eyes on this spot. It was the day she had finally awoken after the fight with Naraku and had soon become her favorite spot on the castle grounds. It gave her a sense of peace and freedom. However it usually did not last long, as she was reminded of that fact when Rin gently pulled at the sleeves of her blue silk kimono.

She tore her eyes away from the beauty before her and looked at the small girl who had a sheepish grin on her face. Ever since they had gone to retrieve them from Inuyasha and his friends Rin had become even more attached to her and Sesshomaru than she was before. She would trail behind them in their walks through the castle grounds or watch Sesshomaru train in the dojo. It was usually only when Sesshomaru volunteered Jaken for a game that she let them have some peace. Kagura did not truly mind the excessive attention garnered from his young ward. Although she did not know the specifics behind how the girl had come to travel with Sesshomaru, she knew that Rin had lost her parents when she had lived in the human village. Rin had become more of an adopted daughter to Kagura since she had joined with Sesshomaru and she knew it must have been heartbreaking for the little girl to think she lost her second set of parents.

"Lady Kagura, can you show Rin that dance you do?"

Kagura turned her lips up into a half smirk. Ever since Rin had seen her that day in the dojo she had been fascinated by the movements Kagura made to control the wind. Rin had sat and watched her twirling and beckoning the winds in her deadly dance, her eyes widening even more as Kagura feel deeper into her rhythm. Every day since then, Rin would accompany her to the dojo to train, and Kagura would catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of her eye trying to mimic the wind sorceress. Although she made up the steps as she went, Kagura could see that her movements were fluid and held an inane grace about them. It was a poise the young girl possessed that you would never be able to tell from observing her.

"Rin, it is not just a dance, it is how I control the winds." She flicked open her fan and held it to her face. Rin's pleading eyes were still looking up at her and Kagura felt her lips grow into a genuine smile. "But, I suppose I could teach it to you."

Rin flashed her a toothy grin and clapped her hands together. "Thank you my lady! Rin will watch you very closely!"

Kagura took several steps away from the cliff's edge, stopping in a clearing amidst the dozens of different flowers and trees. Rin took her place several paces away. Seeing an escape from his forced babysitting duties, Jaken scurried away from the pair, quickly disappearing into the trunks of the sakura trees.

Kagura snapped her fan shut and looked over to where Rin stood. "Now, watch carefully Rin and try to do as I do." She received a silent nod from the girl in response, as her smile faded into an expression of intense concentration. She trained her eye on the wind sorceress as Kagura started to move with a practiced precision.

Kagura flicked her wrist quickly and opened the fan, drawing it across her face and up the length of her arm before quickly slicing it through the air, causing a gust of wind to blow both their raven locks into their faces. She tilted the fan outwards and spun in a circle, drawing the wind into a vortex around her as she controlled the force without effort. The fan was pointed towards the ground with a delicate flick of her wrist and the winds burst out from around her, blowing the long trane of her kimono and wrapping it lightly around her ankles. She was careful to control the force, making sure she did not destroy the beauty of the gardens. The sakura trees that surrounded the clearing danced in the wind, sending delicate pink flowers to join in the torrent now encasing the wind sorceress. Rin stopped in her movements and watched the demoness as she continued her deadly dance, but she was not the only one who was watching.

Sesshomaru stood to the side of the clearing, the artificial winds blowing his silver locks around his face and armor. His eyes were transfixed on the sorceress in front of him, as he joined Rin in silent observation. He had watched the little girl imitate Kagura's every move, but now she only looked on in admiration. His mate was in a trance, ignoring everything but the winds and her movements. The delicate sakura blossoms now caught in her winds danced through the air, giving an air of unnatural beauty to Kagura's dance. As she turned and danced he could see the calm look of contentment on her face and it almost made him smile. This was what the wind witch was meant for, to be free and not chained. Afterall, none could chain the wind. She was free to dance and free to do whatever she pleased, he would give her the world if she only asked.

"Lord Sesshomaru! There you are my lord! I have been looking everywhere for you!"

Jaken's screech drifted over the mesmerizing scene, drawing out Sesshomaru's irritation. He gave a swift kick in the imp's direction and sent him flying, hoping that his intrusion did not ruin Kagura's dance. When his vision focused back on his future mate, he furrowed his brows slightly at the now still demoness. He would have to kick Jaken again as soon as he recovered, thought the demon lord.

Although she had previously not felt Sesshomaru's aura, she could clearly focus on it now that she was no longer dancing. Jaken's shrill voice had broken her spell, causing annoyance to seethe over her body, but it quickly diminished as she heard Rin's cries of amazement.

"Lady Kagura that was beautiful! One day Rin will be as good as you, Rin will practice really hard now!"

"You did well Rin." Sesshomaru's baritone voice filled the courtyard, causing both of them to look in his direction as the demon lord stepped out of the shade of the cherry trees.

The girl beamed at his rare comment, "Thank you my lord! Lady Kagura looked so beautiful dancing so Rin would like to learn how to dance too."

She ran up to him with one of her trademark grins and the demon lord reached down to pat her on the head. Rin had been quite taken with Kagura lately. The pair shared a bond much like mother and daughter, and it pleased the demon lord greatly.

Finally recovering from the kick to his hindquarters, Jaken stumbled clumsily out of the wall of cherry trees. He cast a wary eye to the demon lord, receiving an icy stare in response.

"Jaken."

"Y…yes milord?" The quaking in his voice mimicked the spasms his body was undergoing at the moment.

Kagura cast a smirk in the imp's direction. It was hard to feel sorry for him, he had been under Sesshomaru for longer than anyone here, but yet he still managed to press the Western lord's patience as if he were a new charge.

"What is so important?" Although he was addressing the little toad, he was drawn to the sardonic expression on Kagura's face as she watched the demon squirm. In her own way, Kagura had always found their interactions humorous, most likely stemming from the unspoken disdain the pair had for one another. She had asked him once before why he had kept Jaken around for so long, pointing out what few uses he had. In truth, Sesshomaru had asked himself that question many times, but he held loyalty in high regard, and despite all his flaws, that was something Jaken possessed in droves.

"Well, milord…" he paused for a moment, trying to stop his spindly legs from shaking so drastically. He could not gauge how Sesshomaru would react to this news, so he made sure to word it carefully. It took an icy glare from amber eyes before the words jumbled out of his mouth.

"Your mother sends word. She would like to meet your intended mate. She also requested your presence as soon as possible."

Sesshomaru's amber eyes flashed momentarily, and he furrowed his brow. He had seen his mother only two times since she had left his father. Once was to inquire about the location of Tetsusaiga, and the other had been to give news of his father's demise. After she had discovered her mate's infidelity, she had left without saying a word to anyone. It was an act that had put an irreparable distance between mother and son. He would always show the proper respect to his mother, but he could not forgive her cowardice. To turn her back on her mate was one thing, but to turn her back on her child was a completely different matter. Of course by the time she had left, Sesshomaru had not truly needed her any longer, he was practically an adult. If he had to think about it, he supposed the real reason he held contempt for his mother was not the fact that she had left, but the fact that she had virtually severed ties with her son after the fact. So to hear that she wanted to meet his future mate was a shock.

"Your mother?" Kagura's voice was tinged with nervousness.

Sesshomaru shifted his gaze to meet hers, and he gave a curt nod of his head before turning back to the imp at his feet.

Although he held more contempt for his mother than anything, he was still obligated to abide by her wishes. Holding back a sigh, he finally spoke to the toad, practically going in to convulsions at this time.

"Jaken, you and Rin will remain here. We will depart for my mother's lands tomorrow."

Letting out the nervous breath he had held to the point of passing out, Jaken gave a bow to Sesshomaru, thankful he would not be on the receiving end of another kick.

"Yes milord!"

Beside Kagura, Rin stood with her eyes to the ground and an almost certain pout on her face. Sensing the girl's distress, Kagura crouched down in front of her.

"Rin, do not be upset. While we are gone, you should practice your dancing and show me how much you learned when Lord Sesshomaru and I return."

Obviously, those words were magic because as quick as the left her mouth, Rin's head shot up with a grin plastered on her lips.

"Yes my lady! Rin will practice very hard! Just do not stay gone for too long…" She trailed off, knowing she could voice her concerns to Kagura. However, she kept her voice low so that Sesshomaru would not hear her; she did not want the demon lord to know how much she missed his company lately.

The corner of Kagura's lips pulled up into a half smile and she looked over her shoulder where Sesshomaru stood. The look of annoyance in his eyes told her they would not be staying for long.

"I don't think you have to worry about that Rin. Now go get cleaned up for dinner."

The girls gave a quick nod, and skipped off to the entrance to the castle.

Rising up from her crouched position, Kagura gave her mate and understanding stare. She did not know much about Sesshomaru's mother, it was a subject he never talked about, she could only guess it was still a sore spot from his past and she never questioned him. As she stared at him, Sesshomaru drew his gaze from a spot in the distance to look into her crimson orbs.

She didn't say a word, but moved silently over and put a delicate hand on his haori. Now would not be the opportune time to start a discussion about his mother, she would wait until the news had sunk in a little. Although Kagura had an innate curiosity, she knew when and when not to push the taiyoukai into talking, and this was one of those times.

His arm shifted under her touch as he brought a clawed hand to her face.

"You do not have to worry about impressing my mother Kagura, no matter what her opinion is of you, it is of little importance. You are my chosen mate, and no one will change that."

It was not until he said something that she realized she was, in fact, very nervous about meeting the former lady of the West. _'Damn dog demons and their noses'_ she sarcastically thought.

She shot him a wry grin. "The only person's _approval_ I seek is yours my lord, and I believe that I have already secured that."

"Indeed." He traced the outline of her jaw before dropping his hand to rest at her collarbone.

* * *

The smoothness of the yellow and purple silk kimono felt heavenly against Kagura's skin. Since she had come to his castle, she had often opted for plainer kimonos, after all the castle was virtually deserted and she had no need to impress anyone. But that had all changed now that word of Sesshmaru's homecoming and mating had reached the territories of the West. Now it seemed as if everyday more and more demons poured into the castle, taking their long neglected positions at court again now that the son of the West had returned. They were all so beautiful, dressed in the finest fabrics and designed and oozing with an angelic grace. As lovely as they had all been to her face, Kagura could not ignore the feeling of disgust that permeated the castle. She did not know if it was because some lowly demoness without an ounce of noble blood to speak of had become the intended mate of the lord of the most powerful demon territory, or if it was because of her association to Naraku. Either way, Kagura had been born with thick skin, and she would not allow their opinion to affect her.

She brought her attention back to her visage in the mirror. The two servant girls that she had sent away the other morning were busy fussing over her ebony locks and tying the purple obi in an intricate bow. She had to admit they knew what they were doing. Her hair was still in it's usual bun on top of her head, but now two golden combs adorned with rubies of the deepest crimson now adorned her head as well. The long train of her formal kimono pooled behind her, looking much like the depths of her mate's eyes. She had to admit that being the lady of the West was a bit overwhelming, but it certainly had it's perks. Namely the one standing impatiently outside of her door.

"You may come in now my lord, the lady is dressed." The shorter, lavender haired demon stepped away from her place beside Kagura as she admired her work. Kagura's natural beauty was only enhanced by the expensive ornamentation, and she was sure Sesshomaru would be pleased.

As the shoji screen quietly slid back, the two servant girls bowed deeply to Sesshomaru and took their leave.

As he entered into the room, Kagura could see the approval in his eyes as he drunk in her form.

Sesshomaru stood there, looking at the demoness adorned in the best finery in the land. But it was not the expensive combs or luxurious kimono he noticed. What he saw was the scared, tortured servant of a filthy half demon transformed into her rightful place as lady of the West. Kagura had a poise about her that would put even the most well bred courtiers to shame, and he was sure they would be overly jealous of her beauty, and they had right to be. His future mate had surpassed all that he had required in a mate, and it made him swell with pride. He walked over to her and embraced Kagura in his arms, pressing his nose into her silky locks.

"So am I to assume you approve?"

Her sly stare was met with a look that told her he was.

"You look lovely my mate, all the ladies at court will be jealous of your beauty." He actually gave her the faintest of smiles as he spoke.

Kagura widened the grin on her face, surely she had impressed him, to see even the smallest hint of a smile on her lovers face was more than she could ever hope for.

"Well, let's just hope your mother approves as well."

* * *

**Yay! Another chapter done, bringing me closer to the real point of this chain of events. I am still working on the finer points of the next chapter but it will be up soon! Probably by the end of the week. Also, here is my shameless plug for reviews...Reviews make me happy and make for a better story! As always, I welcome constructive criticism as well as praise, so if there is something you don't like TELL ME! Also, any suggestions for upcoming chapters of content you would like to see is also welcome! Reviews make me happy, and a happy writer is a good thing, lol! Till next time!**


	16. Mommy Dearest

**Hey Hey! I am back with another chapter, and admittedly, later than I had hoped. I hope my sporadic updating schedule has not displeased too many of you, and if it has SO SORRY! Life tends to get it the way sometimes...blame my friends, they won't leave me alone, lol. Well anyways, enough of my babbling...enjoy the next chapter!**

**I do not own Inuyasha, if I did, I would be rich by now.**

* * *

Kagura and Sesshomaru stepped out into the main hallway of the castle, sunbeams drifting through the rice paper walls bathed the corridor in a rich amber glow. The castle was abuzz with activity, there were servant girls hurriedly running in and out of the rooms of the newly arrived demons who were to be part of Sesshomaru's court. In truth, Kagura had not met any of them, and she was sure not even Sesshomaru had time to meet with all of them. He had been so busy recently, having taken up his long neglected duties as Lord of the West that Kagura barely even saw him anymore. He was constantly in meetings, or helping Mamoru train the new recruits that would be part of the West's new army. Since she was constantly locked away in Naraku's castle, Kagura had never been witness to how a proper castle was run. Now that she was the future Lady of the West, she knew she would be responsible for many things, running the house, associating with the court and taking care of Rin were just a few of her new duties. In truth, she was a bit overwhelmed when Sesshomaru had told her what was expected of her as the new Lady of the West.

Kagura walked as gracefully as she could next to Sesshomaru, the new geta sandals were proving to be a little difficult. She had always gone barefoot in the past, but she knew that she must play the part that was expected of her. Although they hurt her feet in the beginning, she was slowly getting used to the awkward design of the sandals. As they made their way to the main entrance of the castle, Kagura took note of all the demons in the hallways, giving them slight nods as they walked past. Although this was the private wing that held Sesshomaru's apartments and his personal library, the visiting demons of court were housed here temporarily until the eastern wing was cleaned and outfitted with all the comforts the nobility needed. That was something Kagura anxiously waited for. Although they mostly kept to themselves, it was bothersome to have so many demons encroaching on what she viewed as her and Sesshomaru's personal space.

As they reached the end of their private hallway, they turned to see all the demons of court as well as Mamoru had come to bid them a safe journey. As the Lord and future Lady of the West entered the corridor a loud shout was heard.

"All hail Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Kagura!" Kagura recognized the gruff voice as that of Mamoru's. The tiger demon was standing next to the great wooden doors that were the castle's main entrance, his trademark grin plastered on his face. Since her arrival in the West, Kagura had grown very fond of the elder tiger demon. She could always count on him to make her smile when she was feeling particularly overwhelmed and she could see why Sesshomaru and his father had such a fondness for the general.

As they made their way down the steps in the great hall, the demons gathered bowed their heads in respect. Kagura sighed inwardly, that was still something she had no become accustomed to and doubted if she ever would. Even though Sesshomaru had provided her with her own personal servants, Suki and Ami, she would often send them away. She felt that she had no need for them in the past, so she did not need them now. It was only after Sesshomaru had told her that it was considered "un-ladylike" to dress oneself or to bathe without the help of attendants that she grudgingly accepted their assistance.

As they reached the end of the lines of demons, Mamoru stepped out from his place beside the door. He smiled warmly at them, the black stripes on his face scrunching up and mingling with the noticeable wrinkles from when he smiled. He pulled the heavy wooden doors open and sunlight spilled into the great room, bringing the smell of flowers wafting past Kagura's nose. She gave an appreciative smile to him, which he readily returned.

The bright sunlight of the early summer enveloped everything outside, it would be a beautiful day to travel. Kagura had been looking forward to this ever since she had heard about his mother's invitation. True, she was still nervous to meet Sesshomaru's mother, but she was also pleased that they would be spending some time away from the castle. It had been hard lately to not have Sesshomaru by her side all the time, but she understood he had new responsibilities now. Although his days were always hectic, they would always make time to spend together at night. After the rest of the castle had fallen asleep they would often spend the moonlit hours conversing or walking the castle grounds, or other more…_interesting_ things. Although she missed the days when it was just her, Sesshomaru and Rin and Jaken she liked her new lifestyle and the freedom it afforded her. She would often venture into the town that was below the castle to look around at all the shops or even just travel the countryside on her feather, that was when she had some time away from Rin.

She was drawn from her thoughts when Mamoru stopped suddenly in the courtyard.

"My Lord, there is something I must discuss with you for a moment." He turned his green eyes to Kagura. "I will not keep him long My Lady, I know you two are eager to start your journey." He gave her a knowing wink as he turned to walk to the corner of the courtyard. Kagura gently placed her hand on Sesshomaru's arm, the small show of affection was all that Sesshomaru would tolerate when they were surrounded by his court.

"Wait for me by the stables with Ah-Un. I am sure Rin and Jaken will be there as well."

She gave him a small smile and a nod as he walked over to join Mamoru.

* * *

As Sesshomaru closed the distance between himself and the seasoned general, he could tell by the look in his eyes and the spike in his scent that this would not be a pleasant conversation.

"What is so pressing Mamoru?" Sesshomaru stopped merely a foot from him, and spoke in a low voice so that their conversation would not be heard by anyone else.

"My apologies, My Lord, but there is an issue that has come up in the East or our lands."

Sesshomaru tilted his chin up, silently telling the tiger demon to continue.

"It seems that many villages in that area have been destroyed and their residents killed. Our scouts have no information on who is responsible for this, but I would like to take a battalion of soldiers to investigate this, with your permission of course."

As he ingested this information, Sesshomaru's eyes flashed in anger. This was something that did not bode well, and he was not pleased he would have to call off the trip to his mother's on account of this.

"We will gather a battalion and go and investigate this tomorrow. I will send word to my mother that we will be delayed in our visit."

Mamoru's eyes narrowed and a toothy grin spread across his face.

"My Lord, I am sure this is nothing to worry about. I am more than capable of handling this myself, and I will give you a full report when you return." He cast his eyes over to the path that led to the stables. "And I am sure that you and Lady Kagura would like some time away from the castle."

The knowing look on Mamoru's face had Sesshomaru believing in the old general. He knew Kagura would be less than pleased if he were to cancel their trip, although she had not said anything her scent was full of joy since this trip had been mentioned.

"Mamoru, you will take our best battalion with you. If there is anything concerning, send word to me in my mother's castle immediately."

The perpetual grin on Mamoru's face only widened as he responded a prompt "Yes, My Lord."

* * *

Kagura finally reached the massive stables that housed Ah-Un and she was very thankful. Walking on sturdy wooden floors in the castle was one thing, but walking on the uneven ground outside was a different matter in the geta sandals. She only hoped she would not stumble or look like an ungainly farm girl when they met his mother.

Her thoughts drifted back to recent events. Her innate curiosity was working overtime pondering what Sesshomaru and Mamoru could be discussing. Although the more likely topic was the running of the house in Sesshomaru's absence, she could sense the anxiety in Mamoru's scent when he had asked to speak to Sesshomaru. Perhaps she would ask him later about it.

"Lady Kagura!" Rin's sweet voice echoed across the path and was shortly followed by the exuberant little girl. She rushed up to Kagura and gave her a tight hug around her legs.

"Good morning Rin. What have you been up to?"

At this, the girl promptly presented a golden flower to the wind demoness.

"Rin picked this for you. Rin thought it would look pretty with your dress!"

Kagura gave the little girl a genuine smile. This was not the first time she had received a gift from Rin, she had an affinity for picking flowers and giving them to either her or Sesshomaru. From what she had gathered, it was a habit she had always done. Although Sesshomaru would never display them in his hair as Kagura did, he would tuck them into the sleeve of his haori, earning a squeal of delight from Rin.

"It's beautiful Rin." Kagura replied as she took the flower from her hand and placed it behind her ear.

"Lady Kagura, why can Rin not come with you?" The melancholy in the girl's voice caused the smiles to disappear off of both their faces. Truthfully, she had not considered why Rin and Jaken were not joining them. Sesshomaru always brought the girl with him when he went on trips, or atleast on those that would pose no danger. Although she was sure he had his reasons, it still puzzled her.

"Well Rin, this is going to be a very boring trip. We will only be gone for a few days and you need to stay here and keep up with your lessons." Ever since they had arrived back with Rin and Jaken, Sesshomaru had hired on a teacher to tutor Rin. Although Rin never complained, she was sure the little girl would much rather be doing something else besides being cooped up inside.

Seeing that this explanation did not wipe away the frown on her face, Kagura offered one she was sure that would cheer her up.

"And Rin, don't forget you were going to practice your dancing while we are gone." The comment removed all traces of the frown and beaming chocolate eyes looked up at her.

"Oh yes! Rin will practice very hard!"

Happy that she had gotten her in a better mood, Kagura walked over to the massive form of Ah-Un and petted it's snouts. It was only then that she noticed the tense form of Jaken standing next to the dragon. Kagura knew the little imp felt left out, and maybe a little betrayed. She supposed that was the reason they never really got along. It seemed like Jaken resented her because she took up all of Sesshomaru's free time. Jaken still had the opportunity to serve Sesshomaru, in fact he had been made his personal assistant. It was a ways away from chief minister, but Sesshomaru had offered him this position until things at the castle fell into normalcy. Still, it was not like it once was, and she knew Jaken was not pleased with that fact.

"Jaken, are the bags secured?"

Giving her a scowl, the imp answered in his trademark shrill voice. "Of course they are! I am not stupid, I know how to secure bags to Ah-Un."

Kagura replied with a hollow laugh, but held back her snide comments. She was in a good mood today and would not let the imp's bad mood get to her. Thankfully, Sesshomaru showed up at that moment.

"Jaken, are the bags secured?"

Kagura couldn't help but roll her eyes as Jaken squeaked his reply.

"Oh yes Milord! I made sure that they are properly secured and all of your items were packed with care!"

Now that they were relatively alone, Kagura knew she was safe to entwine her arm into Sesshomaru's. They walked over to Ah-Un and Sesshomaru easily lifted her up onto the regal saddle on it's back.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Rin also picked a flower for you!" She quickly fished the deep crimson flower from her kimono and presented it happily to him.

Without a word Sesshomaru took the flower from her and placed it inside his haori sleeve.

"Rin, take care and continue your lessons while I am gone. Do not give your teacher any trouble."

The girl briskly shook her head as Sesshomaru's hand went down and patted her on the top of the head.

"Jaken, watch over Rin."

"Oh yes, Milord!"

Kagura thought it humorous that he still assigned protection duties to Jaken. She supposed it was out of habit from all their time spent chasing Naraku.

As he lifted himself up on to Ah-Un's back, Rin had already started to wave her goodbyes. With a slight pull of the reigns and a great snort from the dragon, they lifted into the air and watched the castle disappear into the distance.

* * *

They had been flying for a little over two hours before Kagura started to get nervous. She had passed the time by taking in the sights of the land below and with casual conversation with Sesshomaru. However, he had become less talkative the closer they got to his mother's castle, only responding with a nod or shake of his head. She could see the tension in his body and it worried her. Perhaps this would not be as pleasant of a journey that she had hoped it would. Eager to break the tense silence, she started talking about the more pressing subject in her mind, curious if she would even get an answer.

"So, what can I expect when we meet your mother? What's she like?"

Sesshomaru turned his head slightly, but did not answer her question. His lack of response only served to heighten the apprehension that she was feeling. Several moments went by before he finally answered.

"My mother is not a very warm person. She never has been, I suppose I am more like her in that respect than my father."

Oh great. She had managed to get used to Sesshomaru's cold demeanor, but she wondered if she would be able to handle two people with the same icy personality at once. Although Sesshomaru would be more talkative and caring when they were alone, she doubted she could expect that from his mother. Afterall, it had taken Kagura some time to even get him to talk to her. She furrowed her brows, but then felt the warm touch of Sesshomaru's hand on her face. As she drew herself out of her thoughts, she saw the concerned look in his eyes.

"What troubles you Kagura?"

She gave him a half hearted smile and pressed her face further into his touch.

"Nothing. I suppose I am just nervous. I want your mother to approve of us, but if she is anything like you, I think that will be more difficult than I thought." She gave him a sly smirk and wrapped her arms tighter around his torso.

"Why do you say that?" The concern in his eyes had grown more apparent, he did not like for his mate to be uneasy.

A slight blush crept up her cheeks as she answered softly. "Well, because I am not royalty or even close to it. I am merely born from…"

His hand left from her cheek and grasped her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes and cease her words.

"Your status means nothing to me. My mother will respect my choice. You carry yourself well, and you will make a fine Lady to the Western lands."

Although she knew she was pushing it, she decided to fish for a compliment to make herself feel better.

"So, even if she does not approve…will you still become my mate?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at her question. How could she be so foolish?

"As far as this Sesshomaru is concerned you are already my mate. Nothing anyone can say will change that, including my mother."

She smiled at this, some of the tension instantly leaving her body. She was surprised that he had answered, but she knew it was probably because he could sense her anxiety. Deciding to change the subject, she wanted to question about Rin.

"Sesshomaru, why did you leave Rin at the castle? Don't you want your mother to meet her too?"

He noticeably tensed again, and she wondered why.

"My mother does not care for humans. She hates their race, I suppose it is because her mate was taken from her by a human. It would not be wise to bring Rin here."

All the tension that had left her before came back in droves. She did not mean to stay on the subject of his mother, but it made sense that that was why Rin was not allowed to come with them. If Sesshomaru was wary of bringing his adopted daughter to meet his mother, she must be more threatening than she had thought. Kagura didn't want to follow this subject line any longer, it was making her tense and she was sure it was having the same effect on him. She thought back on his conversation with Mamoru and figured that would be a safe subject line for now.

"So, what was so important with Mamoru?"

Thankful that she did not sense him tense beneath her fingers, she decided that this would be a much more pleasant topic. However, the lax tone in his voice frightened her, especially considering the subject matter.

"There have been several villages burned in the East of our territory. Mamoru is going to investigate as to why."

"Burned? Why would someone do that?" The alarm in her voice came out more urgent than she intended, but she was alarmed at the fact that something this terrible was not putting Sesshomaru more on edge.

"I am unsure. However, it is most likely nothing. There are some villages that still hold hostilities towards others in my land." Although he had spoken the truth, Sesshomaru could not ignore the feeling of foreboding in his heart. It was not the manner in which the villages were destroyed that bothered him, but the number that had been destroyed.

"Oh, well I guess that makes sense. I'm still learning who hates who." Although the act was terrible, she felt appeased with his answer. She did not want anything to happen now that her life was perfect.

A slight upturn of the corners of his lips made her smile in return, although sheepishly.

"You will learn these things in time. It is your responsibility to learn the workings of the West."

She nodded and rested her head on his back, above his armor. It was only a few moments that she remained there before she felt Ah-Un start to descend from the sky.

"Are we here already?" She looked around at the rapidly approaching earth for the layout of a castle, but found none, only a large field, surrounded by mountains.

"Yes" The tone in his voice gave away nothing, but she noticed that his hands flinched ever so slightly in a tense motion.

"But, I don't see a castle. Is it hidden by a barrier?"

"My mother's castle resides in the sky. There is only one way to reach it. It is more of a greeting than an entrance."

"I don't understand…" Her voice trailed off as Ah-Un's claws made contact with the lush green grass of the clearing. Sesshomaru slid off of his back before offering his assistance to Kagura. He wrapped his arms around her but made no move to help her down. Instead his amber eyes gazed at her with an intensity that almost made her blush.

"Kagura, do not be nervous, my mother can sense it, she is an inu-youkai as well. You must be strong, as I know you are. Do not be troubled, and do not forget what I told you."

She gave him a genuine smile, and slid off of Ah-Un's back, but Sesshomaru held her suspended from the ground for a moment. As their eyes met, she slowly leaned her head towards his, their lips meeting in a short but passionate kiss. As Kagura pulled away, he gently lowered her to the ground and began to walk to the center of the clearing.

"Stay there, I will return in a moment." He stopped then, and Kagura was puzzled, but then she felt the winds in the clearing begin to pick up. Sesshomaru's aura around him began to burn red, and she could see from his half turned face that his eyes were now glowing red.

She had seen this look in his eyes before, but it was usually when he was enraged or when they were in the moment, but neither of these applied now. She continued to watch as the winds ripped at the grass, bending them over nearly horizontally. Suddenly Sesshomaru transformed into a red ball of energy, shooting up into the sky and then coming back down to the ground. What took his place now was the form of a giant dog, both terrifying and majestic at the same time. She was awe-struck and had to concentrate from letting her jaw drop in a most un-ladylike fashion. She had never seen his true form before, and she felt as if she was gazing on the definition of horror. If it had been anyone beside her mate, she surely would have thought twice about standing this close, but she knew he would not hurt her.

Opening his massive jaws, he let out a long howl that shook the very ground she was standing on. Suddenly she heard a return growl from off in the distance. Training her eyes to where the sound came from, she saw the massive form of a second great dog descend from the skies. It was surrounded in a brilliant blue aura, and she knew from just looking at the beast, it had to be his mother.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru leapt from the ground and soared into the air, meeting the second great dog in a clash of power. Terror ran through her for a moment. Perhaps this wasn't his mother, but a rival dog demon. She felt her body tense and she started to reach for her fan before she saw that they were not fighting, but it looked more like dancing. The two forms twirled around each other in the air, a grace that she thought impossible for something so large was immediately apparent. For a moment, they stayed in the air, twisting the aura that surrounded them into a brilliant purple. Then the mass of dog demon hurled towards the ground at remarkable speed. Once again she held her breath, but released it when a giant ball of purple energy exploded upon the ground and revealed both Sesshomaru and his mother in their human forms.

Even from her distance some twenty yards away, Kagura was awestruck by the demoness who stood next to Sesshomaru. He hair was as white as the clouds and she wore a purple and blue kimono trimmed in fur. Slowly she started walking towards them as she realized they were doing the same. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, but from the exhilaration of the sight she just witnessed and the apprehension of meeting his mother.

As they got closer she could truly appreciate the dog demoness's beauty. She had golden eyes like Sesshomaru, but hers looked more cold and withdrawn, if that was possible. Glancing up she saw the mark of the crescent moon upon her forehead, the exact position and coloring mimicking that of Sesshomaru's. She could see that her lips were formed in a tight line and she also noticed neither one was talking.

Taking in a silent breath, she closed the remaining distance between them and herself, finally coming to rest in front of the tall, slender form of the demoness.

Bowing at the waist, she took a moment before rising up to get control of her emotions.

"My Lady, it is an honor to meet you." She said as she finally locked eyes with the mother of her mate.

His mother cast an appraising look over her before replying, and none to friendly.

"So Sesshomaru, after all these years this is who you have decided to be your mate."

* * *

**I really can't stand Jaken sometimes, lol. Anywho, sorry to leave you all on a cliffhanger, but the good news is my motivation has returned! Yay! That means quicker updates! So, Sessh's mom is finally in the picture, I wonder what that means for these two. If she is anything like Sesshomaru I think it will be tough going, but she may surprise us all and take to Kagura immediately...we shall see. **

**Anywho...time for my shameless review plug, lol. Reviews make me happy, they are yummy and I love them. So, if you like a happy writer, REVIEW! Thanks so much for all your kind words last chapter, I try to reply to all my reviews now, but if I didn't I am sorry, but that doesn't mean I love you any less...it just means I was having a space cadet moment. Hope you all enjoyed!**

**Also, I am probably going to be wrapping up this story in about 5 or so chapters. But don't be sad! I have another Kagura/Sessh story I am planning on after this one, as well as a Sessh/OC story I am going to post on deviant art. I am very excited about both, but just a warning...the next Kagura/Sessh story is going to be very VERY MATURE rated. So as to whether I am going to post it here or over on DA, I am unsure. If I decide to post it on DA, I will be sure to put in the AN the link to my page on DA. Thanks once again!**


	17. Castle in the Clouds

**Hello my lovelies, since I got a few reviews for the last chapter, I tried to get this out as early as I could without sacraficing on quality. Just a fair warning though, Sesshomaru's mom is pretty evil, lol. Anyways, get to reading and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"So Sesshomaru, after all these years _this_ is who you have decided to be your mate?"

The glint in her golden eyes told Kagura that this was not intended to be a compliment. As the pregnant pause lingered in the air, both females just stared at one another. Cold golden eyes met uncertain crimson ones. What should she say? She wanted to make a good first impression to the lady mother, but she would not stand up to insults. Kagura had too much pride dwelling within her to be spoken to like a common whelp. Her gaze drifted over to Sesshomaru, the slightest of scowls crossing his face, but he made no move to speak. Drawing on her inner strength, Kagura managed to form a reply.

"My Lady, I understand your surprise and your disbelief. I am Kagura, the wind sorceress, I am not of noble blood nor am I of a station befitting your son, however, I am who your son has chosen to be his mate. I hope that you can learn to understand his reasons for this in the time we are here."

As the words left her mouth, Kagura tilted her chin up and stood firm despite the narrowing of the demoness' eyes before her. Although she was nervous, she would not appear weak in front of the lady mother, if she was so like Sesshomaru as she expected she was, she would not tolerate weakness.

A simple "Hn" was all she gained in reply to her words.

The lady mother finally turned her gaze off of the proud wind sorceress in front of her to look at the taiyoukai. Although the scowl on his face was no longer there, a tension in his body still remained.

"Come Sesshomaru, the entire castle has gathered to celebrate the arrival of you and your _mate_"

As she said the last part, a hint of amber flashed back to the still motionless wind sorceress. This was not going to be easy, Kagura thought, but she would weather this storm just as she had in the past, with her own will. Suddenly the lady mother transformed into a blue ball of light and shot up towards the sky, leaving the two mates in silence.

Anger washed over Kagura like a violent wave. How could he just stand there and not defend her to his mother? Was he ashamed of his mother's appraisal? He had said her opinion did not matter to him, but the way he was acting said otherwise. Not thinking, she let a torrent of anger flow from her mouth.

"So, you intended to just stand there and let her talk to me like that? You did not even defend me!"

Sesshomaru shifted his body to face her, and proud golden eyes lay upon her. "You needed to defend yourself. If I said something in your defense to my mother, she would think you weak. She needed to see that you are strong, and not strong just because you are my mate."

Kagura's eyes widened momentarily, before lowering her chin to her chest and releasing her built up tension. A weak smirk settled upon her lips as she considered her words. This would indeed be a test of strength; she only hoped it would be enough.

"Come Kagura, it would not be wise to keep my mother waiting."

Her head snapped up and she let her smirk widen to an actual smile. This would be a challenge, but she was willing to undergo anything for the demon lord in front of her. Gracefully, she walked over to his outstretched arm, her confidence guiding every step, even in the ungainly sandals. As long as she had the strength of Sesshomaru's love beside her, she would not allow this matter to destroy it.

Brilliant crimson light enveloped both of their forms as they rose up into the sky, Ah-Un following close behind.

* * *

They touched down only moments after the lady mother. The landscape that was before her was not something Kagura had expected. Behind her feet laid a massive stone wall that encompassed the entire castle, and beyond that was nothing but air. It seemed impossible that a castle sat suspended in the sky, and if she was not witness to it herself, she never would have believed it. Beyond the precipice behind her afforded anyone a marvelous view, provided they were bold enough to stand there. In front of her lay the large estate, although its size was smaller than Sesshomaru's castle, it rivaled it in grandeur.

Massive stone steps led up to the main entrance. On a platform in front of the castle sat a throne that was gilded in gold, with luscious red cushions adorning it. To the side of the dais sat two massive stone figures of inu-youkai that resembled the lady mother and Sesshomaru, however she could not be sure unless she asked. And as the state of things were, she would not be having that conversation with Sesshomaru's mother anytime soon. Beyond that, laid the actual castle itself. The walls were a combination of dark wood accented in gold that made them shine like the sun. The massive entryway was carved ornate wood, that had images of great dog demons and their battles forever emblazoned on it. One thing that did strike her was the distinct lack of greenery around the castle, in fact, it resembled a fortress more than it did a home.

She was roused from her observation by the gentle shifting of Sesshomaru beside her. As she drew her eyes to him, she noticed that both he and his mother both had an expectant look on their faces. Thoroughly embarrassed for gawking like a commoner, she straightened herself up and regained her composure. Suddenly drawing her vision was the hundreds of demons standing in front of her, silently observing her every move. She felt overwhelmed with the feeling of being the center of attention, and had to suck in a silent breath to compose herself. This was not the best way to make a first impression, she silently scolded herself, appearing every bit like a newborn with her wide-eyed curiosity. A bit of comfort was gained when she noticed Sesshomaru's hand coming up to her. The tiniest of smiles came to her lips as she placed her hand gently over his, the small display of public affection was only proper when new mates were presented to court. The lady mother spared her one last glance and wordlessly started walking up the stone steps leading to her throne. As Sesshomaru and Kagura started walking as well, a thunderous voice echoed over the silent congregation.

"All hail the Lady Shindori and her son, Sesshomaru Lord of the West and his new mate!"

Kagura could not tell where the voice had come from, but on queue all the demons lined up beside the stairs bowed to Shindori and Sesshomaru and herself. It was indeed a massive group, there were soldiers, adorned with purple and white armor that matched their lady's, demon dignitaries and even some that resembled servants were among them. The beating of her heart nearly doubled its pace at the sign of respect, she was still not accustomed to being the demon equivalent of royalty, and she doubted she ever would be.

Concentrating only on her walking and the warmth of Sesshomaru's hand, they climbed the steps at a leisurely pace until they finally came to rest in front of the gilded platform that held the throne. She mimicked Sesshomaru's and Shindori's graceful bow to all the subjects and heard the lady mother's voice echo with a volume she thought impossible for such a small frame.

"It is a great honor all of you have come to welcome my son. It has been too long since he has returned, and I am honored to welcome him and his intended mate to my home."

Although there was no sarcasm in her voice, Kagura could only suspect she was being proper in front of all the dignitaries. Afterall, if her previous behavior was any indicator, she could not believe her opinion had changed that drastically in a matter of minutes.

Waving her hand towards Sesshomaru, he dropped Kagura's hand and took a small step forward.

This should be interesting, Kagura mused. She had never seen Sesshomaru address such a large group of nobility. Their castle was just now getting back into the proper order of things after so long of being neglected. Idly she wondered if he would have as fierce of a presence in front of them as he did normally. She was not surprised when he proved her right, his smooth voice echoed over the massive stone courtyard and it's very tone commanded attention.

"On behalf of myself and my future mate Kagura, we bestow our appreciation for such an enthusiastic welcome."

Although his speech was short, which was typically Sesshomaru, the crowd loudly applauded their approval at the Western Lord and future Lady. Once the applause died down, Shindori spoke once more.

"You are all dismissed. We look forward to seeing all of you at the feast that has been prepared in honor of our guests."

Shindori turned back to the pair, and with an appraising glance said "You must be tired, allow Keiko to show you to your rooms."

She motioned to a small lizard demoness that stood behind them, her large yellow-green eyes were targeted to the ground.

"My Lord and Lady, if you would please follow me." Her hushed tone fit with her small stature, and Kagura could not help but muse on the similarities between her and Jaken. Although Sesshomaru's imp was a good foot or so shorter than Keiko, their physical similarities were almost exactly the same.

Bowing to Shindori, and ignoring the slight scowl on her face, Kagura followed behind the small imp and Sesshomaru up to the massive wooden doors that served as the castle's main entrance. As they passed through the threshold, Kagura briefly had a closer look at the carvings. Although it was mainly of inu-youkai, there was a massive crescent moon symbol at the center that mimicked the markings of Sesshomaru and Shindori. Bringing her attention back to her surroundings, she was struck with how familiar the castle seemed to be. It was practically the mirror image layout of Sesshomaru's. The massive entryway held a large open area with another throne, although this one was inferior to the one that sat outside. To her left was a massive stone fireplace with a rice paper door next to it that led to other parts of the castle. The soaring ceilings had enormous dark wooden beams criss-crossing it's length, leaving the smell of fresh oak throughout the room. One thing was decidedly different with this castle, it was very dark. Kagura had grown used to the natural light that flooded the castle during the day time hours, due to the abundance of rice paper walls that separated the rooms and made up much of the castle's façade. In this place, it was mostly built of sturdy wood, and lit from the inside with numerous oil lanterns. Immediately she longed for her home, it felt so oppressive and foreboding in here.

They turned down a long hallway to the immediate right of the main room, and at a junction, took the creaking wooden stairs up to the second floor of the castle. The hallway had golden bamboo floors and surprisingly, was much brighter than the rest of the castle. This was due to the fact of a massive shoji screen that had been pulled most of the way back to reveal a long, narrow balcony. It surprised her that this part of the castle was so different from the rest. Looking out to the castle grounds, Kagura was pleased to see a small garden, little more than a few trees and flowers, but it was a welcome change from the dominance of stone. Her steps slowed and she looked back to see they had stopped in front of a large doorway.

"My Lord, these are your chambers. If you should need anything please call for myself or any other servant. Lady Shindori requests your presence at the feast in two hours."

Sesshomaru nodded and slid open the simple shoji screen. Kagura made a move to follow him but a small noise from Keiko's direction stopped her.

"My Lady, your rooms are down the hall. Please follow me."

Kagura immediately glanced back to Sesshomaru, who had paused midway through opening his door. A mixture or uncertainty and displeasure graced her slightly widened eyes. Although he made no sound, his eyes reflected a silent queue to do as she was told.

Setting her jaw and turning quickly back to Keiko, all that escaped her lips was a gruff "Very Well."

As the two demons made their way down the hall from Sesshomaru's rooms, Kagura could not help but let her annoyance show with an unbefitting scowl. Even though they were not yet mates, she and Sesshomaru had shared a room since her arrival. Granted it was a tad improper, but no one had dared to even whisper about it at their home. Now she was in a new place, with a snotty future mother in law, and she would be able to have no comfort from the one she desired it from most. Already she missed the way Sesshomaru would envelope her in his arms at night, and she could not help the urge to wrap her arms around herself in a desperate attempt at comfort.

Keiko stopped suddenly in front of her and Kagura almost ran right into her due to the ungainly geta sandals.

"My Lady, this is your room. Please make yourself comfortable and do not hesitate to ask for anything you may need. You presence is also requested at the feast tonight. I will show up in an hour to help you prepare."

She turned her yellow eyes to Kagura, and caught the look of displeasure on her face. At the sudden acknowledgement of her scowl, Kagura reeled back her expression to one of indifference, but was surprised when the lizard demoness gave her a knowing and surprisingly friendly smile. In response, Kagura gave her a half hearted smile and ducked quickly inside her new chambers.

Although the room itself was extremely spacious, it still felt cold to Kagura. The dark interior of the rest of the castle was continued on into this space, the only source of light being a window that was on the far side of the room. A massive futon rested in the center of the room, in a slightly lowered portion. The only other accommodations were an ebony colored wardrobe and a small vanity with a gilded mirror. Deep amethyst sheets adorned the bed and when Kagura sunk down into it, she was pleasantly surprised at its comfort. Atleast she would have a welcoming place to sleep, that was the least she felt she deserved in lieu of Sesshomaru's presence. As she looked around the room from her central viewpoint, she had to admit the room was rather luxurious. Massive silk tapestries graced the walls, with the continuing theme of dog demons in battle or gloriously portrayed in their demonic forms. Long white silk curtains hung from the ceiling, framing the small window and making it appear larger with the light dancing off the fabric.

She let out a sigh as she fell back into the futon, not caring about mussing her hair or the silk kimono she wore. All she wanted to do now was go to Sesshomaru, but she did not know if it would be considered "proper" and the last thing she wanted to do was give his mother more of a reason to look down on her. Her silent wishes were answered when she felt Sesshomaru's aura at the door and heard a light rapping on the frame.

Not even bothering to raise herself from the bed, she replied with a soft "Enter."

As he entered the room and closed the thin shoji screen behind him, Kagura immediately felt more comfortable.

She raised herself up on her elbows and looked at him, trying to gauge his mood in the only way she could, his eyes. What she saw was adoration and a slight hint of annoyance.

"So, we are to stay in separate rooms for the next two nights? These old fashioned rules of decorum are really bothersome."

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows at her slightly and walked across the room to sit on the edge of the bed with his elbows resting lightly on his knees.

"My mother has always been one of propriety."

At his remark, Kagura lounged back onto the bed and let out a slow breath. Seemingly though, Sesshomaru must have sensed her frustration and continued.

"However, I do not intend to have my mother's ideals influence what I do with my free time."

Kagura let a devilish smirk cross her face as she felt Sesshomaru's weight shift on the bed and he drew closer to her.

* * *

Her muscles were still aching as she stood in front of the small wardrobe and allowed Keiko and another servant fuss over her crimson and black kimono. Sesshomaru had truly outdone himself this time, it seemed that he was also aware they would not have much time together here so he had wanted to make it special. A shiver ran up Kagura's spine and a smirk crossed her lips as she remembered the romp they had just had. It was a miracle she did not draw the attention of the whole castle with her screams of pleasure, but thankfully the quarters they were staying in were isolated from the main part of the castle and it was only her and Sesshomaru in the wing at the time. Thankfully his mother was not in her chambers down the hall, Kagura could only imagine the looks she would receive if his mother had been privy to their rule-breaking. As much as she hated her current situation, Kagura would not complain. It was Shindori's house afterall, and as much as she despised the woman herself, she would give Shindori proper respect because she was Sesshomaru's mother.

The two servant girls had finally finished their task and Kagura stood back to regard herself in the small vanity mirror. The kimono she wore was a gift to her from Sesshomaru. It was a deep crimson that matched her eyes and it had fans and cranes adorning it. It was her most treasured kimono, besides the fact that it was the first gift Sesshomaru had gave to her, it suited her perfectly. All the silk layers fell in just the right places, and she could always see the look of desire that Sesshomaru had in his eyes whenever she wore it. Her hair was done up in her customary bun and she wore combs encrusted with diamonds and rubies. Kagura had to admit the two demonesses had done their job well.

"Is it to your liking my lady?" Keiko stood behind her with a small smile across her scaly face. She knew the answer before Kagura could even reply.

"Yes, thank you Keiko."

Bowing to the future lady of the West, Keiko motioned for her to follow. The banquet was due to start in a few moments and Kagura could not afford to be late.

Nodding to Keiko as she closed her door, Kagura began the trek down the hall to the banquet room downstairs. She could sense Sesshomaru waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and she quickened her pace. Thankfully she was getting accustomed to the geta sandals and it no longer felt like she would fall on her face everytime she took a step.

The long trane of her formal kimono trailed down the steps behind her as she caught glimpse of the silver flow of hair waiting at the foot of the stairs. A genuine smile crept on to her face, as it always did when she saw her Lord waiting for her.

"Waiting for me?" She remarked with a light lilt in her voice.

He turned and she was not surprised when she saw his eyes melt into pools of molten gold, rippling with their desire for her. It pleased Kagura that she was able to incite such a reaction from the ice prince, and coming from him, this was a sizeable reaction. His eyebrows were quirked in surprise and approval, and his eyes drunk in every inch of her form. Although she could tell from his body language he was barely reeling in his desire to drag her back to his room, his tone was the same as ever. Sesshomaru was surprisingly passionate and devoted in private, but in public he remained as indifferent as ever, that is, unless you knew what signs to look for. In their months together, Kagura had learned to read his body language and expressions with pin point accuracy.

"Come my Lady, we do not want to be late. We are the guests of honor afterall."

Her smile grew as she placed her hand into his and the pair started the trek down to the feast. Their trip was made in companionable silence, and as they grew closer to the main hall, Sesshomaru gently squeezed Kagura's hand, silently assuring her.

The sound of a hundred bodies standing up at once greeted their arrival to the main hall. The same demon that announced their arrival earlier called out their names and titles to the guests, and they bowed accordingly.

Kagura had to resist the scowl threatening to overcome her features when she saw two seats on either side of Shindori vacant. Of course she knew they would be required to sit next to her, but Kagura had atleast hoped for Sesshomaru to be in between her and his mother. '_No such luck_' she silently cursed. Hopefully she would talk mostly to Sesshomaru and the other guests, and leave her snide comments out of the conversation.

Gracefully sitting down at her designated spot, Kagura gave a deep bow to Shindori that was not returned. This woman sure did know how to grate on people's nerves with deadly accuracy.

The meal concluded without incident. True to her thoughts, Shindori kept conversation with Sesshomaru mostly, only turning to her when her name was mentioned or to observe Kagura out of the corner of her eye. It was mainly conversations about the West and how Sesshomaru's kingdom was fairing. Politics had never interested Kagura, and truthfully she was quite content to stay out of the conversation and be left to her thoughts, which mainly focused on the day they would leave here.

As the guests trailed out of the dining hall, Kagura and Sesshomaru lingered, giving thanks to the many dignitaries and political alliances that had shown up this evening. As she had heard bits and pieces of their conversation, she was able to deduce that these were members of noble families that also had residence in Sesshomaru's court, and therefore of political importance for one reason or another.

As the hour grew late, a yawn escaped Kagura's lips, and she realized how tired she was, it had been a long trip and a long day, and now it was approaching midnight.

Catching her yawn out of the corner of his eye, Sesshomaru approached Kagura with an understanding look.

"Mother, I will escort Kagura to her chambers. I will retire as well." Sesshomaru's eyes met hers and she gave him a look of sincere gratitude, this day had drawn on her nerves as well and all she looked forward to now was the soft feel of her futon beneath her.

"Sesshomaru, I am sure the girl can find her way back to her own chambers. There is something I must discuss with you anyways…in _private_." Cold golden eyes stared at Kagura and she swallowed thickly, simultaneously swallowing her biting remark she longed to say to the demoness.

"Very well My Lady. I thank you for your hospitality and the wonderful feast in our honor."

"It was my pleasure to throw this feast in honor of _my son_" The tone of her words was not lost on Kagura and suddenly she knew she had to get out of this place with this awful woman, lest she lose her tongue and say something she would regret. So she simply bowed to the undeserving demoness, and took her leave of the two, practically seething with anger as she climbed up the stairwell.

As the last of her trane disappeared, Sesshomaru turned to his mother, his eyes shimmering in warning.

"Mother, that was uncalled for."

"Come now, Sesshomaru. I was merely being honest, I had this feast prepared in _your_ honor, not because you decided to bring your little tart along with you." She took a sip of her tea and sat the cup down, completely ignoring the rising aura of her son.

"Mother, I am your son and as such I will show you proper respect, but I will require that you not speak of Kagura in that manner again. She is my future mate and mother to my heirs, and because of that she deserves proper respect."

Shindori propped her head up on her right hand and raised a delicate eyebrow to her son. "And are you so sure that you want this one for your mate?"

"If this is about her lack of title or station…" Sesshomaru was cut off mid sentence by a laugh escaping her lips.

"I care not for her station Sesshomaru. What I care about is the trouble she is bringing you, it is already at your door."

It was Sesshomaru's turn to arch an eyebrow. "I do not care for riddles mother."

"Tell me Sesshomaru, is this woman worth dying over? Going to war over?"

An angry growl festered in the pit of his stomach, but he answered a rough "Yes"

"Oh? Are you sure about that? Because I assure you I am not speaking in riddles Sesshomaru. There has been word of unrest in the West, and your _mate_ is the one who is causing it. It threatens to destroy your kingdom, would she be worth all of that?" Awaiting his response, she nonchalantly leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes. It was always a trait of hers to seem so unconcerned at the most inopportune times.

"Tell me what you are talking about. Who threatens this Sesshomaru's lands? He is obviously a fool if he thinks he can defeat me."

"Do not let your confidence distract you Sesshomaru. Answer the question." She turned her amber eyes to her son, and set her mouth into a tight line.

Without a moment's hesitation, he answered. "Yes, she is worth all that and more."

Shindori studied her son for several silent moments, locking onto his gaze and trying to find any hint of deception either in his scent or in his gaze. When she found none, she let out a long, quiet breath.

"Very well Sesshomaru, if this female is worth all that then it seems she will be a fitting match for you, and I give you my blessings. Live well and live long my son." She made a move to leave but a low warning growl came from her son.

"Who is it that threatens my lands mother? I will annihilate this threat to my mate and my kingdom with haste."

She squared her shoulders and looked into his deadly gaze. "I know not who is behind this rebellion Sesshomaru, and I know not how great the threat truly is, but it is a threat nonetheless. I suggest you do as your father did and prepare for the worst. I am your mother and it is my duty to protect my son. I fear though, that the only one who can protect you from this is yourself. I will prepare my army in case you need assistance."

"The Western land is more than capable of defending itself, although I thank you for the assistance."

Shindori took one more look at her son. Although things would never be as they were when he was young, she did care for him. And to see the dedication in him over his future mate had softened her opinion on the demoness. She only hoped that his feelings were not misplaced.

"Hn." She stood to her full height, and laid her hand on his shoulder and Sesshomaru immediately stiffened at the contact his mother had not shown him since he was very young. "You have grown into a respectable lord my son. I shall retire now."

* * *

**God, what an evil woman, lol. But atleast she seems like she has softened now...maybe. So what is all this about trouble in his lands? Are Mamoru and the West in danger? Well, you will just have to stay tuned to find out. We are finally getting into some action here, so things should be very interesting from here on out. **

**Ok, time for the shameless review plug! :-) I love reviews, and I try my best to reply to everyone. I love getting any kind of feedback, criticism included. Plus, it makes me happy...and if I am happy I save money since I don't have to refill my "happy pills" perscription as often, lol. So save me some money and REVIEW! Later lovelies!**


	18. Calm Before The Storm

**Hello my lovelies! Back with another chapter, although I am not too sure about this one. For some reason, my muse seemed to take a hike this week and left me stranded with writer's block. But anyways, I think it sounds decent enough. I did cut this chapter in half because I realized I had alot more information than I thought I did, and I had to split it, so forgive me for the short chapter. The next one should be out sooner than usual so atleast that is good! Well anyways, enough of my yacking...on to reading! XD**

**I don't own Inuyasha, if I did I would be rich. I do own Mamoru though, so atleast that is something.**

* * *

The smell of burned wood and decaying bodies filled the air. This was the third village they had come across in such a state. Bodies of men, women and children lay in the remains of this once thriving village. Now the eerie calm of death had settled over the town.

In all the previous demon encampments they had come across they had not seen the destruction on such a massive scale. Those villages had been lucky, merely losing their horses and livestock and crops, however most of the villagers had survived the brunt of the attack. From what was gathered from the few remaining occupants of the other towns, it seemed most of their males had gone with the invading force upon pain of death to their families. This town however, was burned to cinders and there were no survivors. Smoke drifted from the charred remains of huts and some of the blackened corpses, and Mamoru had to hold his paw over his delicate feline nose to keep from bearing the brunt of the stench.

"General Mamoru! There is a survivor over here sir!" The call came from one of his lieutenants and Mamoru quickly turned his head to where they were practically dragging a half delusional elderly man from the remains of a dilapidated hut.

"Let him be Tanabe! He has been through enough; the last thing he needs is to be dragged through the streets like some common criminal!" Mamoru's voice boomed to his lieutenant who promptly released his grasp on the man.

Scrambling back to the wall of the hut he had been dragged from, the elderly man's unfocused brown eyes looked up at the approaching demon general, terror lacing every bit of his irises. Slowing his pace, Mamoru leaned down to his haunches and studied the frail form of the human in front of him. He had a spear wound through his shoulder and his clothes and skin were badly charred. The man brought his hands up in front of his face and let out a small whimper beneath the gaze of the general.

"Fear not old man, there is no one here that will hurt you. Tell me, what happened in this place." Mamoru softened his tone in hopes of comforting the man and gaining information. The other survivors in the previous villages had been very lax on their information, the fear of bringing back their attackers too great for them to open their mouths. So far all Mamoru had managed to gather was that there was a great force of demons ravaging the lands, taking male demons into their lot in preparation for war. He had not even gotten a name from anyone, and therefore had very little to go on.

The old man dropped his hands a few inches and focused his eyes, wild and unfocused, onto Mamoru.

"They…they came in the night. The villagers…we tried to fight but there were too many. Blood…blood…so much blood and screaming. My family…all gone!" His jumbled words caused tears to stream across his soot encrusted face, leaving pale tracks in their wake. A shiver wracked his fragile frame, causing him to drop his hands onto the ground to steady himself.

Mamoru could not help but feel pity for the frail human in front of him, but right now he needed answers.

"Who? Who came old man? Did you get a name? Or their purpose for doing this?"

"The demons! The demon's came! They had a great bat demon as their leader…oh Nabuyo, my son! He took his head right off his body…so much blood. Then they killed all the rest and burned the village."

Mamoru reached out his massive paws to the man and sat them gently on his shoulders, trying to calm him into atleast a semi-sane state. At the contact the man leaned slightly into Mamoru's grasp and let his head fall to his chest.

"Tell me, whoever is responsible shall pay for this, but I cannot do anything without knowing who our enemy is."

At that, the old man's head shot up, anger filling his eyes, although they still did not focus on anything. "Tatsuo…I heard one of the demon's call him by name, _he _was the one who killed my son and who led the attack!"

"Tatsuo…" Mamoru trailed off and furrowed his eyebrows together. He had heard that name before, and knew of the owner well. Tatsuo was the prince of the Western bat demon tribe, and had once tried to take over the Western lands with his father, Tanaka. However, this had been centuries ago. The great dog general had eliminated the threat, but not after a great and bloody battle had ensued, and had banished Tatsuo and his father, as well as their whole clan from the Western lands. What could be his purpose for renewing his vendetta against the Western lands, and why would he choose now to do so? He decided to try and press the old man for more information, atleast since his anger over his son had surfaced, he seemed to be a little more composed in his responses.

"Did you hear anything else old man? Anything about what they are planning, or why they are assaulting the West?"

The anger over his son's death had once again gave way to his insanity, and his jumbled response made Mamoru's blood turn to ice.

"The lady…they said she would make the lands fall…he said he would take over, become a friend who was once an enemy and save us from her curse. The spider…her father…her father…her fath…" His voice trailed off as his lips continued moving silently, sobs once again wracking his body.

Although he heard the man's words, they did not make sense to him. He knew little to nothing of Lady Kagura, but it seemed that she was the target of Tatsuo's attack on the West, although he was sure that he had some other ulterior motives. Namely his father's vengeance in particular, but what could be so special about Lady Kagura that he would go to war with the West? Was she really the true reason for all of this? He would not worry about this now, he must focus on the task ahead, and when he returned to the Western castle, he would bring this information to Sesshomaru, and hope he had answers to his questions.

Mamoru stood up, wiping the soot off his paws where he had steadied the old man, and gave a look of pity in his direction. The old man would not make it much longer; it was astounding that he had survived so long. The thick red ooze coming from the wound on his body had begun pouring more freely at the exertion of his memories. Humans were so frail, but were not without their redeeming qualities, a viewpoint he had picked up from Sesshomaru's father.

"Make sure he is comfortable." With that Mamoru turned and began to walk back to the battalion of soldiers standing at the middle of the destroyed village.

As he was walking he heard a voice and the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from his right. Turning, he saw one of his scouts rushing up to him, a wild look in his eyes.

"General Mamoru! There is an encampment several miles from here, there are hundreds of demons set up there, but it looks only to be a secondary force, and not the main force. They may be the ones responsible for the villages, although there appeared to be no one commanding them."

His green eyes flashed a violent neon, as his thick black eyebrows furrowed at this news. He quickly took stock of how many soldiers he had with him. An elite group of only fifty, but they were some of the best the West had to offer. He hated to go into a battle unprepared, especially not knowing if there were any demons of true caliber stationed there, but he felt it was a risk he would have to take. There was no doubt in his mind the abilities of his soldiers and of himself, and he refused to sit back once he was so close and allow this to happen to anymore villages. The best he could hope for was that these demons were the ones abducted from the other villagers and would give up their arms against the West, and the worst…well, he would not consider the worst. This was his duty as general of the West, and if he had to give up his life for his lands, it was a sacrifice he would make without remorse.

"Soldiers of the West! We set out for this encampment immediately, ready yourselves for battle! The West will not fall to this band of vermin any longer!"

There came a resounding roar from the handful of soldiers he had, and a small vicious smile came onto his face. _'It's about time this old cat flexed his claws once again.'_

* * *

Kagura stood on the edge of the ramparts enclosing Shindori's castle. The cool wind whipping her hair about her face and wrapping the trane of her kimono around her feet. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, and her unobstructed view from this height gave her an excellent view as the shadows of night were replaced by the soft orange glow over the land at her feet. It was very early in the morning and she had not been able to sleep, despite her best efforts. The comments from the lady mother after last night's feast kept replaying in her mind, angering her to the point where she felt the need to distance herself as much as possible from the castle and the horrible demoness as possible. She had not bothered to rouse Sesshomaru, although she was sure he was not asleep. All she wanted to do now was to be alone and to gather her strength to deal with Shindori; this was not a battle the former lady of the West would win. She would remind Sesshomaru why he had chosen her to be his mate, her strength in the face of any advisary.

With a small smirk, she took a feather from her hair and gracefully landed on it's now fully enlarged form and set off into the wind. It always felt so freeing to Kagura to ride on the wind and have that freedom of going anywhere and doing anything. Right now, she needed that freedom to clear her head. She leaned back on her hands and closed her eyes, willing the wind to take her anywhere.

* * *

When she had returned, the sun was now above the horizon, casting it's warming rays over the land. She knew she should get back, lest Shindori think she ran away, and that would give the demoness too much satisfaction for Kagura to allow. When the castle came in sight she saw said demoness standing exactly where she had been earlier, and even from this distance, Kagura could see the pale flashes of amber from her eyes reflecting off the sun's rays.

And trained exclusively on her.

Gritting her teeth and clenching the softness of her feather between her fingers, Kagura mentally steadied herself for the inevitable confrontation as soon as she stepped down. _'This bitch really has a knack for ruining people's day'_ she thought sourly.

Slowing her feather as she came closer to the walls of the castle, Kagura gracefully launched herself from it's surface and somersaulted in the air, landing on the tips of her toes merely a foot in front of the wretched demoness. The winds from her feather transforming whipped Shindori's hair about her face, momentarily hiding her gaze from Kagura's view. Reaching her hand up and plucking the feather back into her hair, she saw that Shindori had not moved one inch from Kagura's little show. Instead her golden eyes remained trained upon Kagura, looking identical to Sesshomaru and his gaze of indifference.

"Is there something I can do for you my lady?"

Kagura had to concentrate on not letting her anger for the demoness in front of her spew into her words. She had been respectful and tolerable of Shindori's actions thus far, but last night's display had been the last straw. Now she decided avoidance would be her best strategy, but it seemed that the lady mother was not going to make it that easy.

A few tense moments passed in between the two powerful females as Shindori continued to stare at the wind sorceress in front of her. Finally the silence was broken by the slightest of sighs coming from her mouth.

"I care for my son deeply although most seem to think otherwise." She gracefully slicked her hair back behind her pointed ears and walked a few steps forward to the edge of the wall. Kagura cast a wary eye to her and turned slightly, her eyebrows rising in question of where this conversation was going.

"I am aware I have hurt him in the past, and for that I am regretful. However, the years have given me many moments to reflect on the past and I wish to right the wrongs I have done to him."

Kagura turned herself fully, now facing Shindori, who was looking out over the vast landscape below her castle. Her eyes seemed to soften with her words, and this only served to confuse Kagura even more. What was she getting at? And why did she feel the need to have this soul bearing conversation with _her?_ As these thoughts ran through her head, Shindori turned to face Kagura, a pregnant pause lingering in the air which made Kagura subconsciously hold her breath.

"I know I have been cold to you, and my reasons are my own. You are the future Lady of the West, and with that comes not only responsibility to your mate, but to your lands as well. Are you prepared to take on that responsibility Kagura?"

For a moment Kagura remained silent, dumbfounded not only at the conversation she was witness to, which was more words than the lady had spoke to her the whole time they had been at the castle, but also at the fact that Shindori had actually called her by _name._ She swallowed hard as she finally found her voice.

"Yes, my lady, I am aware that there are numerous responsibilities that I must assume, and I feel I am ready to do so."

"It will not be easy; the Western lands are full of old blood, demons left from my mate's time, and those whose viewpoints are more conservative than my own. You will need to prove to them that a wind sorceress with no status and no noble blood is worthy of being the mate of the most powerful taiyoukai in the land. It is the people you must convince that you are dedicated to the West, only then will they accept you." Shindori cast an appraising glance at Kagura, and met her eyes in an unwavering stare, which Kagura returned.

'_She's testing me'_ Kagura thought. This was the time more than any other she needed to prove her love to Sesshomaru and everything that came along with being the Lady of the West.

"My lady" Kagura replied, formulating her next words carefully. "I intend to prove that I am worthy of my position. I am aware that there are those who do not approve of our mating, but I intend to live up to the expectations set upon me. I will rule by my Lord's side and devote myself to my lands, as much as I devote myself to your son."

For a moment, Shindori's eyes seemed to take on a faraway look, seemingly remembering her time spent as lady of the West with Sesshomaru's great father, before focusing back on Kagura.

"Very well Kagura. I approve of you mating my son, may the Kami bless your union and bring prosperity to the West."

In that moment, although no other words were spoken, Kagura understood. Shindori was trying to make up her past deeds to Sesshomaru. Even if she was a cold, heartless demoness, she did care for her son. Perhaps her coming to make peace was her way of showing that. It felt almost like she could see Shindori in a new light, partly because she was still in shock at their conversation. Not twelve hours ago she was acting like her son had made the worst possible decision, and now there seemed to be an unspoken understanding between them. She only wanted the best for her son, and in reality, what mother wouldn't. Of course, it would not come to hugs of affection or endless hours of talking to one another, Kagura did not even know if she was capable of such acts, but now there would always be a civil and respectful relationship between them, and that was all Kagura wanted.

"Thank you my Lady." Finally, a small smile found it's way on to Kagura's lips, and much to her surprise, she saw that Shindori was also smiling. Well, a half smirk, half smile that seemed severely out of place on her features, and made Kagura wonder how long it had been since the last time she had smiled.

* * *

The rest of their visit went by without incident and before Kagura knew it, it was time for them to depart. She had hardly seen Sesshomaru that day, and she could only assume that it was something related to politics and therefore she had not gotten the chance to tell him about his mother's words to her.

Now they were all standing in the courtyard of the massive complex, securing the many gifts they had received from allies of the West in celebration of their mating. Their sendoff was significantly less formal, as most of the visiting dignitaries had left earlier that morning after wishing the new mates well. As a servant was securing the last of the silk kimonos and haoris to Ah-Un's flank, Shindori walked up to her son and put her hand lightly upon his shoulder. This time he did not tense, because unbeknownst to Kagura, he and his mother had also had the chance to talk.

"Be well my son, and protect your mate and your lands. You have indeed become the ruler that your father had hoped you to be." Their golden eyes met and Sesshomaru gave a slight nod in acknowledgement. This was indeed a new development, and Kagura's innate curiosity took hold and she wondered what had happened to cause such a change in the former Lady of the West.

Shindori removed her hand from her son's shoulder and made her way to Kagura. She spoke to her in a hushed tone, but was surely still aware her son could hear every word.

"Do not forget my words. You will make a fine mate to my son if you remember them and a fine Lady of the West." Her eyes dropped from Kagura's gaze momentarily as she lifted the heavy blue stone necklace from around her neck. Kagura had seen it always on her person, and she had wondered what it was. The stone had a bizarre color to it, a shade of blue she had never seen before and it seemed to have a light of its own.

"This was a gift from Sesshomaru's father. It is a meidou stone, a stone to the netherworld. It seems only right that it should stay in the West with the new Lady." She held the gorgeous necklace out to Kagura, but she hesitated. It did not seem right that she would take a gift from her that was given by her mate.

Shindori seemed to sense Kagura's thoughts and she grabbed her hand and placed the large pendant into her palm, closing her fingers over it.

"It is not as precious to me as you may think. It holds memories I do not care to remember."

Kagura looked at her, the softness in her eyes was once again present, the same look she had yesterday morning. Wordlessly Kagura slipped the precious stone over her head and bowed deeply.

"You honor me with your generosity my Lady."

What Kagura failed to see was the genuinely stunned look on Sesshomaru's face.

Now more words were spoken between the three, as Shindori took several steps back from Ah-Un, allowing them to depart.

There were only a few silent moments between Sesshomaru and Kagura once they had left before Sesshomaru spoke.

"I see you and my mother have come to an understanding of sorts." He gave her a sidelong look from his seat on the front of Ah-Un.

Kagura smiled softly and brought her hand up to fondle the pendant now hanging from her neck. "Yes, it seems as though your mother only wanted what was best for you. It seems I had to prove my strength to her, as you had said."

Kagura shifted her position and made her way into Sesshomaru's lap, angling her body to face him. "And what about you? It seems you and your mother have come to an understanding as well."

Sesshomaru locked eyes with her, shifting a little bit so she was closer to him. "There are things my mother can never atone for. However, she has made it known that she does still care for me and I will allow her that."

Kagura gave him a slightly confused look and arched an eyebrow. Sometimes Sesshomaru could be so cryptic in his responses, but this time she knew what he meant. Although forgiveness would never be an option, it seemed that they could move forward from the past now.

"Well, it seems that this little visit wasn't so bad afterall." She leaned into Sesshomaru's chest, minding the spikes on his armor, as he drew his hand around her waist to secure her.

"Indeed."

* * *

**Yay! Another chapter! So what is this? Shindori and Kagura actually being _civil_ to one another? And Sesshomaru is giving his mother another chance? I wonder what was said, we may never know...then again we may, you'll just have to stick around and find out. And poor Mamoru! He is going into battle against tremendous odds! But he's experienced, so he will be fine, right...RIGHT? Hmm, we will just have to see. I am so glad all of you like him so much, maybe I will take that into consideration when I decide his fate mwuhahahaha! Ahem...anyways, a big huge THANK YOU to all my reviewers, you make my world go round! And for those of you that haven't reviewed, here is a little tutorial...see that link in blue down there that says review this story? Click it! It takes 5 seconds to say "This story is crap" or "This story is awesome" (preferably the latter, and with a little more details, lol) and your done, and by doing that you put a smile on my face for the rest of the day! Pretty fair trade. But anyways...hope you enjoyed and hope everyone had an awesome St. Patty's day...now I am off to go drink my green beer! See ya!**


	19. A General's Return

**I'm finally back! Sorry guys, but after the last chapter, I felt that this story was taking a backseat to my other works, and I was getting a little burned out on it. So I decided to walk away from it for a bit, and work on my other Sessh/Oc story that will be hitting DA very shortly. Well, the good news is I am rejuvenated and ready to rock out the last few chaps of this story and start on my new one. Also, I made this chapter extra long by way of an apology. I hope you all enjoy it and forgive me for being gone so long, but you won't have to worry about it again!**

**Also, any of you interested in following me on Deviant Art my Id is InuGirl85. I am having a comission posted up there tonight or maybe tomorrow from my new Sessh/OC story, and I must say, it looks AMAZING! It was done by the wonderful and extremely talented Animaker131, go check her out on DA, she does phenomenal work. Anyways, enough of my babbling, y'all have waited long enough!**

* * *

Kagura was awoken with a slight nudge from Sesshomaru. Lazily, she opened her eyes and arched her back, stretching her sore muscles. She had managed to fall asleep on his lap, but it wasn't a very comfortable position and now her back felt stiff. Turning her gaze to the front of Ah-Un she could see the outskirts of Sesshomaru's castle coming into view, and she smiled, thankful to be back home.

"Home sweet home." She said as she extracted herself from Sesshomaru's lap and took up her position behind him on the saddle.

"Indeed. Perhaps it will not be in too much disarray when we arrive." Sesshomaru remarked, silently worrying about the competency of his staff in his absence. Although most of his staff was capable of handling the household in his absence, he was always concerned when he was not there to personally oversee the runnings of his lands.

"You don't give them enough credit, besides if anything is out of place when we get back, you can always give into your bloodlust and kill one of them." Kagura smirked, although he could not see it.

"Hn." He replied, picking up on the sarcastic tone in her voice.

The imposing ramparts of the castle jutted up from the surrounding scenery and Ah-Un started to descend into the massive stone courtyard of the castle. Before his paws even touched the ground, a shrill cry came from the right side of the castle, quickly followed by an excited Rin running to greet them.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lady Kagura!" She beamed as she ran up to where Ah-Un had landed, taking the massive dragon's reigns from Sesshomaru.

"Rin, I hope you have fared well?" Came Sesshomaru's baritone voice as he dismounted the dragon.

"Oh yes my lord! Rin has been helping to plant beautiful flowers in the gardens."

"Have you been neglecting your studies?"

The tiny child dropped her head and began tracing invisible circles in the stones at her feet. "Rin has not been studying as much as Master Jaken would like. Master Jaken is so boring sometimes in his teachings." She said, slightly embarrassed.

To the side, Kagura smirked. She had sat in with Rin on some days in her studies, after all Kagura had never been formally educated. She had only picked up on things that she had seen, and been told from Naraku. It seemed that it would be in her best interest to start to learn about the world and it's history, but the little girl had a point, Jaken was a horrible teacher. His lesson plans were so boring, and Kagura could not blame Rin for hardly keeping interest.

"Rin, just because you do not enjoy your studies, does not mean you can neglect them." Sesshomaru gently admonished. She was a very bright child, but it seems as though she would rather be outside playing than inside learning.

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru."

At that moment, said toad was running from the entrance of the castle, shrieking his lord's name, and nearly tripping over himself. As he finally approached them, he bowed gracefully and tried to catch his breath.

"Milord, I am so pleased you have returned!" He said, taking a moment to compose himself.

"Jaken, I expect a full report of events during my absence. Meet me in my library." Sesshomaru said, slightly annoyed from his screeching.

The tiny imp looked up at his lord, and then to the lady of the West, and his eyes bulged even more so when he saw the pendant hanging around her neck. "The meidou stone?" He shrieked once again, causing Sesshomaru and Rin to turn and look at the brilliant blue stone placed around Kagura's neck.

"Oh, lady Kagura, it's beautiful!" Rin said, admiring the way the stone shimmered in the light.

"Foolish girl! It has more uses that just being pretty to look at! This stone was a precious heirloom to the West for thousands of years! Lord Sesshomaru's father gave it to lady Shindori when they were mates; I am surprised to see it in the West again!" At this, Jaken gave a suspicious glance to Kagura.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Kagura smirked. "Surprised to see it in the West, or surprised to see it around my neck toad?" Kagura knew that Jaken had met Shindori before, so he must know how cold and ruthless she was, and it pleased her to know the little toad would be pondering for a long time just how she had gotten the stone.

"Hmph" Remarked Jaken, crossing his arms over his chest in a pathetic attempt at annoyance, but he could not keep from glancing over at the pendant every few seconds.

At this point, Sesshomaru made his presence known once again, tired of the display between these two. "Jaken, put Ah-Un in my stable and meet me in the library." He said, turning and walking to the entrance of the castle.

"Yes, milord!" He called after him. He took the reins from Rin and cast one more look at the meidou stone, before he guided the towering beast to the stables.

When he was gone, Kagura turned to Rin, who was still beaming her brilliant smile. It always warmed Kagura's heart when she was around Rin. She was so innocent and carefree, and it was refreshing. Quite often Kagura was overwhelmed by her new position, but being around Rin always helped to settle her anxiety.

"So Rin, have you also been practicing your dancing while we were gone?" Kagura asked, as she held out a hand to the little girl and began walking towards the gardens.

Rin gave a short nod as she grasped Kagura's hand and fell into step beside her. "Oh yes Lady Kagura. Rin has been practicing everyday!" Her smile faded a bit as she looked up at the wind sorceress. "But there are some steps that are hard for Rin to figure out."

Kagura laughed softly "Well, it takes practice Rin. You won't get it in a few days; you have to keep at it."

Rin nodded as Kagura opened the gate to Sesshomaru's private gardens, which had quickly become both her and Rin's favorite spot on the grounds.

"Let me see what you have so far Rin." She said as she dropped the little girl's hands and took a few steps away.

"Alright" said Rin, as she got into her stance, her hands held loose at her sides.

Her tiny frame started swaying and twirling to an invisible beat, moving her hands with grace unbecoming of one so young. She had indeed been practicing, and it seemed as though she had a natural inclination to dancing. Her feet and hands moved in perfect sync to her body, but the moves still seemed a bit practiced. She had not yet learned to give in to her body's movements, and to let them flow with her.

When she came to a stop in the final position, Rin looked at Kagura to seek approval. Kagura clapped her hands together and a smile lit up her features.

"Very good Rin, but I think I know what your problem is." The little girl's face shifted into an expression of extreme concentration. "You're too worried about what the moves should look like, and you don't put feeling behind them. Dancing is about more than your moves, it is the expression behind the moves."

Rin nodded, though she still had a confused look on her face. Kagura decided to try again.

"Dancing is about emotion Rin; you need to put that emotion into your moves. It'll come with time, so don't you worry. You already have shown great promise."

Rin smiled a toothy grin and nodded quickly. "Thank you lady Kagura!"

Kagura gave a short nod as Rin ran off to a secluded corner of the garden that held her own personal flowers. It had been a request from Kagura that Sesshomaru put it in, Rin was always so happy when she was tending the flowers in his private garden, but Kagura could not help but feel sorry for the gardeners that had to clean up her mess or revive flowers that had been too _overloved_ by the child. Now she knew that it had been the right choice, she smiled to herself and walked over to the edge of the cliff, and sat down, letting the warming sunlight flow across her body.

* * *

Sesshomaru sat behind his massive cherry wood desk in his private library. He was perusing over a few documents that had information about dignitaries planning to come to the mating ceremony, as well as a document that had the names of all the new recruits to his army. As the days had drawn on, the castle had gotten increasingly busy. His mating to Kagura was only two months away, and while the ceremony itself was very private, the banquet that was to be held in honor of their mating was always a huge affair. When a lord mates, it is an event that draws dignitaries and rulers from all corners of Japan, both to greet the new mates as well as to evaluate the strength of the nation. The second reason was one that was never spoken of, although it was just as important as the first. If a lord mated a weaker demoness, then his country would become weak and therefore was always in the back of the visiting lords minds. It was a way to evaluate their existing alliance as well as consider possible gains of land and country.

Sesshomaru had seen this before. When he was younger, the lord of the East had mated to a frail water demoness. Although she was of noble blood she had not an ounce of physical strength to speak of and it caused the lord of the South to invade the East, thinking that it was weakened with it's new lady. He had not been entirely wrong, the country itself was weakened with such a lady, but the East and West were allies at the time, and his father was able to fend off the attack with the Eastern Lord.

That would not be something that Sesshomaru would have to worry about. Kagura was strong, determined and proud. She would truly be a noble lady, and would bring great prosperity and strength to the West.

He let one of his rare smiles pass over his face. Yes, he had indeed chosen a worthy mate, and his country would thrive under their rule.

At that moment, a knock on the door brought him out of his musings. It was Jaken, Sesshomaru could already smell his scent through the thick wooden door that separated his study from the rest of the castle.

"Enter" He called to the little toad, shifting the papers on his desk into a single pile.

As the massive door closed behind the imp, Sesshomaru could scent that Jaken was nervous, and the look on his face did not hide any emotion either. Sesshomaru sighed to himself, it was always a wonder how when he was having a decent day that something would inevitably ruin it.

"What news do you have Jaken?" He straightened himself up to his full height on the crimson pillow and retrieved the document that Jaken held to him. After a few moments of looking at the names on the page, his brow furrowed in agitation.

"This is the list of all the villages that have fallen?"

Jaken stood there for a moment, bracing himself against the news he was about to deliver. Sesshomaru was never one to take bad news lightly, and Jaken did his best to remain out of his reach once the news had been delivered.

"No, milord" Jaken started out hesitantly, gripping his staff tighter to keep his balance. "Those are the villages that have fallen since you left. This" He gestured to the document still in his hand, "is a list of all the villages that have fallen, as well as a list of casualties and a tally of all those who are missing."

Once again, Sesshomaru leaned forward and took the document from the toads outstretched, slightly trembling hands. As he scanned the lines of information, his golden eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jaken continued, despite his better judgment. It would be best to get all the bad news out at one time, rather than space it out, which would only be more detrimental to his health. "The villagers that are missing milord, we have information from some of our assassins that they have joined the invading force's ranks."

It felt like the air itself had been sucked out of the room, and Jaken steadied his quaking body, preparing for a boot to the head or a swift kick in the side, but it never came. Casting a hesitant glance to Sesshomaru, he saw a look of pure vehemence pass quickly across his features, before he schooled them back into his normal impassive façade. But his anger was far from over, as the sounds of the paper being crushed between his claws filled up the space of the room.

"And do our assassins have any idea as to who is leading this rebellion and what their motives are?"

He knew this question was coming, he planned for it, but still as the moment was upon him, he felt his mouth go dry.

"Y…yes milord. It was…"

At that moment, there was a firm knock on the door. Jaken breathed a silent sigh of relief; he would be able to put off telling Sesshomaru for atleast another few moments.

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth slightly, he had left firm instructions that he was not to be disturbed. Surely the guard at the door must know his life would be forfeit, for Sesshomaru was not exactly in a generous mood.

He swiftly got up from behind his desk, and marched over to the door with every intention of choking the life out of the guard that stood behind him. As the door opened, the worried look on the hawk demon's face stilled his hand.

"Speak" he said in a clipped tone.

"My Lord, forgive me for disturbing you, but Mamoru and the group of soldiers have returned. Most are grievously injured, and some are dead."

This news did not bode well, the group that Mamoru had with him were some of his most elite soldiers, and were not taken down that easily.

"And what of the general?"

"General Mamoru is severely injured my lord, but he wishes to speak with you immediately." The terror on the guards face must have been testament to how fierce his own features looked at the moment. Sesshomaru could feel anger swell up inside of him. He was a fool for leaving if there was a force out there that was capable of injuring Mamoru. Despite his age, he was almost as proficient as Sesshomaru in his skills, and an excellent strategist. And for him to put off care from the healers to disclose information, the threat must be more serious than they had planned.

"Very well, bring him to my chambers. Fetch a healer as well." Despite Mamoru's insistence to talk to him immediately, he was not prepared to let him suffer just for some urgent information.

Sesshomaru flew from his study and down the hallway to his own apartments. Just as he opened the door, he could smell the coppery scent of blood wafting down the hallway. To his right, he saw two soldiers, bruised and tired, but otherwise fine, suspending the body of Mamoru between them. The seasoned general had never looked worse; in fact the thought occurred to him that he had never seen Mamoru truly injured until this moment. His eyebrows furrowed in aggravation as he took stock of the wounds on the tiger demon's body. There was a spear wound on his left shoulder that trailed blood down the hallway, leaving a crimson trail on the pristine bamboo floors. His armor had been broken into pieces, and Sesshomaru could see a massive gash ran across his sternum, and bits of bone and muscle were peaking through the wound. A crude bandage had been made from his left pant leg to try and stem the bleeding, but it was not wide enough to cover the wound and therefore the whole front of his uniform was stained a deep crimson from the dried and fresh blood caking it. It greatly disturbed Sesshomaru to see his general and trusted advisor in such a deplorable state, but it was quickly replaced by a hot rage emanating off of him in waves.

How could he be so foolish? Normally he prided himself on being prepared for any battle, but now so many things had taken precedence over this matter that he had made a grievous error in judgment. He cursed himself for his lack of attention as the two soldiers gently laid Mamoru down on the crimson sheets of Sesshomaru's massive bed.

"Leave us." He ground out. The blood seeping from Mamoru's wound dripped onto the covers, staining them an ebony color.

As they reached the door, Duro, the castle's chief healer came spilling into the room, balancing a chest of medicinal herbs and clean dressings as he scurried past them. He set them down beside the bed and the look of shock on his face said more than any words could. Mamoru was lucky to be alive, but he was uncertain how long he would remain that way. As Duro pressed a slimy paste onto the wound across his chest, Mamoru sucked in a sharp intake of breath and drew his hazy green eyes to Sesshomaru.

"My Lord, there is much we need to discuss and time is not on our side in this matter." His voice came across gravely and harsh, far from the booming volume it normally was.

Sesshomaru inclined his head slightly, and drew his focus away from the wounds on his body to his face. He would never admit it to anyone, but he was greatly concerned over the state that his most senior employee was in. His concern mixed with his present rage, and it took much self control for him to keep his emotions at bay.

"My Lord," came the voice of Duro, he looked up from his work and locked eyes with the demon lord. "He is not in any position to be talking, he needs his rest."

Mamoru let out a weak, wheezing laugh. "I am not done for yet, Duro. It would take more than this to bring me down." However, the look in his eyes and the rattling, shallow breaths he was taking belayed his own uncertainty.

Turning his gaze back to Sesshomaru, he spoke again. "We came across another burned village, it was a human settlement and in worse shape than any we had come across. The only survivor told us what happened." Mamoru took another shallow breath before continuing.

"It seems that Tatsuo has returned to the Western lands and he has renewed his vendetta against you. He is gathering others who share his view, and abducting strong demons from the villages he destroys. What his numbers are, I am afraid I do not know."

"Tatsuo…" Sesshomaru balled his hands into fists, and his sharp claws bit into the tender flesh of his palms. "That disgusting wretch. My father should have killed him; he was a fool to only banish him. Now it seems his mistakes are coming back to haunt the Western lands once more."

"Don't blame your father for his compassion Sesshomaru." Mamoru admonished with a slight smirk on his features. Beside him, Duro tightened the final bandage across his sternum, earning a pained growl from the general. When he was finished, he turned his eyes to Sesshomaru, and he had a grave look on his face. Sesshomaru knew what he was thinking, although Duro had not been born yet, the tales of the battle against the bat demon tribe were legendary in the West. Sesshomaru's father had lost many men in his army and the war had raged for days, but in the end, Tanaka had surrendered. He had lost nearly his whole army, and begged for mercy from the Inutaisho. Tatsuo had scorned his father for his weakness, and pledged his vengeance of the West. It seemed that he would now make good on that promise.

"How were you injured?" Sesshomaru questioned as he focused his thoughts back on the matter at hand.

"There was a small contingent near the village. Our scout told us it was only 100 strong, so I made the decision to attack. I was hoping that they would have information or documents that would tell us more of their plans. The good news was that they did, but the bad news was that it was an ambush." The old general's eyes narrowed as he recounted the event. "They had sensed us coming, so they planned to eliminate us. After we were engaged in the primary battle, a secondary force led by Tatsuo's officer's attacked. I gave the call to retreat, but not before I lost nearly half of the men."

With great effort, he leaned over and pulled a blood spattered piece of paper from the remaining bits of his armor. He handed it to Sesshomaru, and watched as his eyes grew wide when he read what was on the paper.

_In 5 days time, the attack on the West will begin._

"We intercepted that message two days ago on our return here." Mamoru drew his eyes up to Sesshomaru's. He had been under his employ for long enough to know exactly what he was thinking. There was no way to get his entire army ready for attack in three days time. And to make it even worse, most of his reinforcements were from the villages that had been destroyed, and they were probably part of Tatsuo's army by now.

Sesshomaru felt his eyes turn crimson, and the blood rushing through his body. This was unexpected, and a very grave situation. How could he have been so blind to such a serious event taking place in his own lands? He was now in a position which he would have to mobilize his entire army and march out to meet Tatsuo's force in only three days. It was nearly impossible, and the weight of this news settled on his shoulders like a ton of bricks.

"Although we do not know how many he has in his army," Mamoru started out slowly, measuring his words carefully so as not to provoke any more of a reaction out of the demon lord. "We estimate his forces number over one hundred thousand."

"One hundred thousand…" The words felt like fire as they came out of his mouth. Sesshomaru only had a quarter of that on the grounds, and it would take too long to track down any remaining reserves that had not fallen to the invasion. Sesshomaru felt his blood boil, and he looked down at Mamoru to see a grim look on his face as well.

"There is another matter we need to discuss as well my lord." Mamoru replied, he kept his eyes locked on Sesshomaru but slightly inclined his head to where Duro was sitting.

"Duro, leave us. Attend to the others who are wounded." His voice was steely and left no room for objections. Nodding quickly, Duro rose from his spot and made a swift exit.

With great effort, Mamoru switched to a sitting position, leaning heavily on his outstretched arms.

"I gathered another piece of information my lord. It involves something considerably more personal."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and wordlessly told him to continue.

"It seems his motives have something to do with Lady Kagura."

"Why would Tatsuo be concerned about Kagura?" Sesshomaru replied, he was searching his mind for anything that could possibly tie them together, but found nothing.

Mamoru hung his head. "I don't know much about Lady Kagura's past, but it seems it has to do with something about her father. That she would make the lands fall, and Tatsuo would save the West from that fate." As the last word left his mouth, he expectantly brought his eyes up to look at Sesshomaru.

Where there was usually amber, it was now replaced entirely with crimson. "Naraku…" Sesshomaru seethed.

"Naraku?" Mamoru's voice held all the surprise he felt in his body. Naraku was Kagura's father? Suddenly everything fell into place. Tatsuo was using the hatred for Naraku to turn the West against Sesshomaru. It would be easy to use the hatred every demon had for Naraku to bring them to his cause, and those that did not come willingly were forced into service.

The crimson in Sesshomaru's eyes was glowing, spreading a brilliant red aura around him. Mamoru had been in service in the West long enough to know that Sesshomaru did not take threats well, especially when they concerned those dear to him. Fortunately, he was familiar with the dog demon enough to know how to get him to calm down and think logically.

He reached out to the seething demon lord, and placed his paw on his forearm. "Come back boy. There is nothing that will be settled with you in such a state." He said it with ease and warmth to his voice, and he saw the red aura start to dissipate. Finally, Sesshomaru's eyes returned to their regular crimson, although Mamoru could still smell the anger rolling off of him in waves.

"My Lord, if this is something to do with Lady Kagura, I must know about her past or anything important. I need to understand his motives if we are to fend off this attack successfully."

Sesshomaru just stared at his general for a long moment. Even with Naraku rotting in the ground, it seemed that Kagura would still not be free from him. That disgusting half demon was still ruining people's lives from beyond the grave. Well, this would be another war he would not win, Kagura would become lady of the West, and he would destroy this vermin that dared to slander her name.

"It is true, Kagura is Naraku's offspring."

* * *

"Alright Rin, I think that is enough for today." Kagura called as she looked up at the sky. The brilliant blue was turning to shades of pink, purple and red as the sun crept towards the horizon.

"Okay Lady Kagura." Rin called in her singsong voice. She had been tending to her own personal garden that Sesshomaru had commissioned to be built beside his own. It was nothing more than about half a dozen flowers, but Rin took great pride making them just as lovely as all of the flowers in the larger garden.

She ran over to the wind sorceress and smiled broadly. Her hands were covered in a fine layer of dirt, and there were smudges all over her face from where she had wiped the sweat from her brow. Kagura smiled, but the scent of sweat and earth wafting off of the little girl was quite overpowering.

"Go in and fetch one of the servants to..."

At that moment, her attention was diverted from the young girl to the front gates of the castle. Numerous servants were yelling for healers and she heard the clanging of metal against the stone courtyard. Slowly, the scent of blood replaced the smell of sweat, and her eyes widened.

"Lady Kagura, what's wrong?" Rin asked, turning her head to where Kagura was looking.

Thankfully, her human senses would not be enough to pick up on what Kagura could clearly sense. Drawing in her expression, she turned to the child and smiled, although it did not reach her eyes.

"Rin, I need you to go to your room and get some clean clothes. I'll come get you in a bit, but don't leave until I get there okay? Then we'll go and get you all cleaned up." Although her voice was even, it came out a little coarse and Kagura cursed herself when she saw the look of fear in Rin's eyes.

"Everything is fine Rin. I just need to speak to Lord Sesshomaru for a moment. Go on, and remember what I told you." With that, Kagura scooted the little girl towards the back entrance of the castle, and once she stepped foot inside, Kagura walked briskly towards the front of the castle.

* * *

The scent of blood still hung heavy in the air, but as Kagura got closer to the front of the castle, she could also smell the stench of death wafting towards her. Her heart started to race as she contemplated what could possibly be happening. Her thoughts ran the gamut from a simple accident to an all out battle, but when she rounded the last corner, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Before her were numerous bodies, all bloodied and bruised. Healers were running around, tending to those that were still alive and announcing the deaths of those that weren't so lucky. They were all Sesshomaru's troops, and it looked like they had just come from a massive battle, and it made her heart wrench. She had seen enough battles and enough deaths from her time with Naraku to last her a lifetime, and to see this again in her peaceful home where she hoped to leave all that in her past made her feel like her world had been turned upside down.

Moving from her position, she rushed forward to try and help, and to find out what happened. The first soldier she came to was fading fast, his arm was nearly ripped down to the bone, and the blood still flowed freely onto the grey stones beneath him. Thinking fast, Kagura ripped the sleeve from her expensive silk kimono and tied it around the wound, but to no avail. The wound was too deep and was leaking too much blood to stop it with pressure. She looked into the soldiers eyes, and they were unfocused but full of fear. She tried to reassure him with statements that he would be fine, but the conviction in her voice was lacking. As she stared at the water demon, she realized she recognized him. He was one of the soldiers that went with Mamoru shortly before she and Sesshomaru had left to go to his mother's castle. Her heart dropped as she saw the light in his eyes slowly fade and his ragged breaths drew further and further apart.

Suddenly, a bright blue light started to emanate from her chest. Drawing her eyes away from the dying soldier, she saw that it was the meidou stone on the necklace that Shindori had given her. It was gently pulsing and with every pulse, the light seemed to get brighter and brighter.

She remembered this feeling, she had felt this when she used Tensaiga to resurrect Sesshomaru after the final battle with Naraku. So was this stone capable of resurrecting the dead as well? Seeing it as a chance for hope, she took the stone from around her neck and placed it onto the now deceased soldier's chest. The brilliant blue stone continued to pulse, and soon the azure light enveloped the entire soldier's body. It was so bright that Kagura had to turn to the side and shield her eyes. All around her, the bustle of activity came to a halt and all eyes were focused on the soldier that was now glowing and pulsing in time with the meidou stone. As quickly as it had begun, the light faded and Kagura saw the steady rise and fall of the soldier's chest. With renewed hope, she tore off the makeshift bandage from his arm and gasped when she saw it was whole and pristine once more.

She felt his hand grip the upper part of her arm gently and she drew her eyes back to his face.

"Thank you my Lady, you saved me." The appreciation in his eyes warmed her heart, and she took the stone from his body once more.

"I am glad I was able to help, you should rest now." With that, Kagura went to the next victim, but was surprised when the stone started to pulse once more before she reached her destination. The vibrations were much quicker this time, and the glow came with more ferocity, reaching out to cover the remaining deceased soldier's bodies with the cerulean light. Kagura just stared in awe at this new development; it seems that the stone was able to resurrect multiple demons at one time, similar to Tensaiga. Although she had never seen Sesshomaru use that particular ability before, she had heard that his sword was capable of resurrecting one hundred souls at once. It seemed that the meidou stone and Tenseiga were one in the same, perhaps this was where Sesshomaru's father learned how to develop a sword with the ability to bring back the dead.

As the light faded, and the stone became silent once more, the previously lifeless bodies started to stir, and they all had looks of gratitude on their faces. As several of them sat up, surprise replaced their gratitude. It seemed that they were not expecting Kagura, and who could blame them? Only Sesshomaru possessed the ability to bring back the dead, but yet all they saw was Kagura.

A tug on her sleeve tore her gaze away from the sight before her. It was Mayiko, one of the healers at the castle.

"My Lady, thank you for your assistance! That was amazing, you were like Lord Sesshomaru."

"Yes," Kagura said, still a bit dazed. She was still trying to process all that had just happened as she looked once again to the perfectly healthy soldiers, but turned her gaze back to Mayiko quickly.

"Where is General Mamoru? Did he not lead these men?" She asked, concern creeping into her voice. She was rather fond of the ancient demon, and she knew Sesshomaru held a soft spot for him as well. If something happened to him, then she feared the reaction from Sesshomaru, and she also feared the threat from whoever was capable enough to take him down.

Mayiko blinked a couple of times before seemingly understanding her words. "General Mamoru is in Lord Sesshomaru's chambers." She drew her mouth together in a fine line. "He is seriously wounded my lady."

Kagura's eyes widened, who could have harmed such a powerful demon as Mamoru? What had happened here? She stored those questions in her mind for a later time, and hurried through the massive wooden door into the castle.

As she scurried down the hallway, she concentrated her senses and tried to pick out any smell of death coming from Sesshomaru's rooms, and breathed a sigh of relief when she detected none. Atleast if the worse had happened, she would be able to bring him back. But perhaps Sesshomaru had already had to bring him back? Mayiko said he was severely injured, perhaps he did not make it, but the smell of blood reminded her that if Sesshomaru brought him back, there would be no blood flow. So that meant he was still injured. Kagura braced herself against what she would see once she walked into the room, she was not sure she could handle seeing such a powerful demon reduced to such a state. Before reaching Sesshomaru's door, Kagura leaned against the cool wood of the hallway, and took a deep breath. This was all happening so quickly, and she needed a moment to digest everything she had seen.

Suddenly, she could hear the muffled voices of Sesshomaru and Mamoru from inside his chambers. She felt relief rush over her body, atleast he was able to speak, and that was a good sign. But her relief was quickly forgotten as she heard her name being uttered. Kagura was never the type to eavesdrop, especially on her mate, but as she focused her senses, she could feel his anger radiating through the walls. What could he be so angry about that involved her? Logic was quickly replaced with curiosity, and she pressed her delicate ear closer to the wall.

"….about Kagura…" She could hear the stern tones of Sesshomaru's baritone voice seething with anger. That time she was sure she heard her name, and she closed her eyes and strained her senses as she heard Mamoru begin to talk.

"…it has to do with something about her father. That she would make the lands fall, and Tatsuo…" Kagura felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest; it was a testament to how involved they were in their conversation that her distress was not picked up by Sesshomaru's powerful nose. Was she the reason why this had happened? Was there a battle approaching that was about her? Her teeth ground together as she quickly came to a conclusion. This was about her association with Naraku, and although she had never considered that bastard her father, it was clear that was who they were talking about.

Another mention of her name drew her back to the wall, she did not want to jump to conclusions yet, and she hoped that this was all an overreaction on her part.

"…Kagura is Naraku's offspring."

"Then it would all make sense my lord…using the West's hatred against Naraku and his offspring…easy to use that to start a war against you…"

So it was true. Kagura felt like the floor had been pulled from her very feet, and she sunk down against the wall. Even when he was dead, Naraku was still controlling her life, and now he was controlling the lives of all those around her. The West was on the brink of war, and it was all because of her and her wretched creator. Her head fell between her knees and she felt her eyes sting and the wet drops of tears falling on her hands.

Was this her curse? To never be happy, no matter how much she tried? Shindori had warned her that the West was full of old blood. They hated that she was not a noble, and now they hated her so fiercely because of Naraku that it would be enough to start a war. She clenched her hands so hard that the tears were soon mixed with sticky drops of blood. It would never stop; no matter where she went or what she did she would always be detested because of what she was. A spawn of Naraku, the despicable half demon who thought he could rule Japan. It was an association that would not be forgotten.

Well, she was not willing to have anyone else suffer because of her.

She slowly rose herself from the floor, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She made the short trek back to her room with one thought in her mind, she would have to leave. Leave Sesshomaru, leave the West, and possibly leave Japan. Even the thought of it made her heart convulse in pain. She loved Sesshomaru with all of her being, and to leave him was something she was unsure if she could do. But the consequences of her staying were too great for her to be concerned with only her welfare. If the enemy was powerful enough to injure and kill so many of Sesshomaru's best soldiers, then there was no telling what he would do if he went to war with the West.

Pulling the door open to her room, Kagura took a deep cleansing breath although it did nothing to calm her emotions. She could imagine Naraku, with that twisted grin on his face, pleased that she would never truly be free of him. He was right, he had always been right; he had as much of a hold on her now as he did when he had her heart in his grasp. The heart that felt like it was shattering into a million pieces at the moment.

Yet she would remain strong, she would leave the West and from there she did not know. Without Sesshomaru by her side there was no life for her, he was her reason for living. Her hands were shaking as she pulled the doors to her wardrobe open and pulled her old purple and white kimono from the back. She would no longer be in a position to wear such finery, she thought as she looked down at the green and yellow kimono that she wore.

Changing into it, the image of Naraku was replaced with one of Sesshomaru. He would be furious with her, and she did not blame him. She was acting as a coward in his eyes, she knew that he would tell her she was being foolish and he could handle any threat to his lands, but she did not want to take that chance. By her leaving the West, they would have no reason to attack and she would be able to stop the war before it reached their doorstep. She only hoped that Sesshomaru would understand that as well.

Tying the obi on her weathered kimono, she looked at herself one last time in the mirror and her eyes were locked on the meidou stone. It would be of no use to her, and Shindori had said that it should stay in the West. Slipping the heavy chain over her head, she placed it in front of the mirror.

"Forgive me, my mate." She said as the tears came back to her eyes once more.

Turning to take one last look at the room and the castle she would never see again, she plucked a feather from her hair and took to the skies.

* * *

**Oh wow! Kagura is actually leaving our dear Lord Sesshomaru? Perhaps she was a little too foolish in her decision, afterall, it is not the fact that Kagura will be lady of the West that has Tatsuo waging war, but revenge. Her association with Naraku was just convenient to assemble an army. Although, I feel sorry for her, she has just gotten a normal life and Naraku still manages to foul it up. So, will Sesshomaru go after her? Will he be able to forgive her for this? Hmmm, I don't know, you'll just have to stay tuned for the next chapter. **

**Also, on my last closing author's note, I realized that I may have been a bit harsh in my request for reviews. I hope I did not make anyone mad, and I do sincerely appreciate each and every review I get, and I will always answer them. Thanks so much to everyone who reads this story, and a special thanks to all those that review! Until next chapter!**


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